A compact introduction of the collaborative duoPO and ZUM, Unn and Haruka written by Haruka Fukao
Unn Devik and I started to work as a collaborative duo since January 2018. We created characters from our personalities called ‘PO and ZUM’. The personalities are lazy, optimistic, escapist from this society, playful and adult children. And the characters somehow know there are shadows of them which are original Unn and Haruka.
We always try not to try. We let the definitions of works fly in the space. Like ‘Imperfect gravity’.
Unn is productive about painting, drawing, printmaking, sewing and bookbinding. Her imagination doesn’t stop. For me, she is a hole from ‘Alice in wonderland’.
I (Haruka) am a layerer. Unn and I perform with the works which mostly Unn made. I’m the one editing the video of the performance. And I like putting souls to objects. A potato has been my best buddy.
And installing works in a space.Our PO and ZUM artworks are based on paintings, printings, objects, performers, sounds(voices), videos and projections. We organize them in wrong locations. And small objects are moved by audience or the performers. We got inspired from Fischli and Weiss, Laure Prouvost and Joan Jonas. Layering them and let the viewer’s brain to catch them freely.
It’s like a meditational practice from Tibetan monk. Create and deconstruct the definition of works.
The relations of PO&HARUKA and ZUM&UNN
We are lonely. But we don’t focus on the loneliness. We are escapists from the reality.
We are trees which have roots
Unn’s tree is ZUM and the roots are UNN
Unn’s tree and roots have grown almost the same balance, she follows both of light and shadow at the same time to create
Haruka’s tree is PO and the roots are HARUKA
Haruka’s tree is much bigger than her roots, she started to care about roots these days, she used to have only light but shadow gradually covers her now
Unn=colors, visual, visible, furniture maker,
a living painting “I want to try becoming a painting itself”
UNN and ZUM are almost merged and there is almost no difference in-between them
UNN: Zum! Wait!
ZUM: hahahaha!
UNN=ZUM
Haruka=shapes, texture, invisible, the wind and flow maker,
outsider of ART world “Art is a translator to see this world flexible””I’m not artist!!”
HARUKA and PO are completely opposite, HARUKA is a shadow of Haruka and the PO is the public side of Haruka herself. So usually people don’t see HARUKA side
PO is chasing HARUKA
PO is an illusion
PO: You should be with me!!!
HARUKA: Leave me alone. I want to grow my shadow part more
‘One has to lose one’s identity in order to regain the real identity’
HARUKA≠PO
Turn on/off=extreme change
Volume up/down=gradual change
Our changes had two variations I felt
sometimes, we changed dramatically and we changed gradually