Mako Ishizuka
Texts (my own writings)
Thread of Virtue 2025 (English original)
The script of the narration used in Threads of Virtue, a project on circularity, focusing on the practice of repairing and connecting.
Fili di Virtù 2025 (italiano)
La sceneggiatura della narrazione utilizzata in Threads of Virtue, un progetto sulla circolarità, incentrato sulla pratica della riparazione e della connessione.
Practising Humanity 2023 (English original）
Originally a piece from an essay collection After-Ripening & Corruption published by Arts Maebashi online, edited for vocal performance.
After-Ripening & Corruption 2020 (English original)
A collection of 5 essays written to share the project plan for the Arts Maebashi's bilateral residency program at MMCA Goyang in South Korea (cancelled due to COVID pandemic).
追熟と訛り 2020（日本語 原本）
アーツ前橋の二国間交流事業として予定されていたMMCA 韓国国立近現代美術館でのレジデンス（コロナ禍によりキャンセル）のプロジェクトプランの共有として書かれた5篇のエッセイ。
Food Experiences at Absent Dinners & Second-hand
Friends Diagram 2020 (English original, handwritten)
2 spread of my notebook, responding to an absurd request by a curator to "document" a finished art project that I had never taken part.
I decided to feature the convivial dinners where the participating artists had together, which I was not invited, and create a diagram to trace the connection to the participating artists, who are mostly strangers to me, via my friends and acquaintances.
Collecting Distances 2015 (artist book)
The artist book that feature the margins and footnotes of my art practice, with notes, sketched, snapshots, cut-out clips, essays, even of unrealised and ongoing projects, No page number and you flip the pages and navigate freely.
The production was supported by Längmanska Cultural Fund.
* accessible for free only during the exhibition period at Konsthall 16 / National Museum of Sports in Stockholm*
monologue no.5 2010 (English original)
An essay composed of three parts, with the theme of "new beginnings".
it was written for the occasion of Open Studio at IASPIS Stockholm curated by Sinziana Ravini and published in anthology "New Beginnings" that collected the writings from the IASPIS residents.
Texts (reviews on my practice)
Thomas Millroth
”Buckliga stålplåtar möter pressade blommor” (Swedish)
Sydsvenskan, 26 August 2017
Review of double-solo exhibition "Beloved Equation" at Galleri Ping-Pong in Malmö, Sweden.
Mats Stjernstedt
”Du är (inte) här” (Swedish)
galleri Naive, 2010
Mats Stjernstedt
”You are not here” (English translation)
galleri Naive, 2010
Text reflecting on my practice to accompany solo exhibition at Gallery Naive in Stockholm, Sweden
Monika Nyström
”table setting project”
Stockholm Konst, 2011
Text on my art project Meeting You at the Table, commissioned by City of Stockholm, which became their first relational public art project.
Videos
Thread of Virtue
2025 (excerpt, 1 min 30 sec)
It is an excerpt from Threads of Virtue, a project on circularity, focusing on the practice of repairing and connecting.
I write with Japanese calligraphy brush and water the Kanji pictograph for "to repair", which consists of the signs of "thread" and "virtue".
Practising Humanity
2023 (2 min 37 sec)
Originally an essay written in 2020, about the act of resisting as a way of practising humanity.
The essay is vocally performed by AI, juxtaposed with a slide show.
Graphic Movements
2019 (excerpt, 5 min)
It is an excerpt documenting the workshops of Graphic Movements, an exercise of humanity, in South Africa, with a family in Cape Town, children at a primary school, and viewers at an art institution in Johannesburg.
Graphic Movements (Chromatic Ambience)
2020 (excerpt, 5 min)
It is an excerpt from the documentation of a workshop, which took place at the group show 'Daisy Chain' at TOKAS Hongo in Tokyo.
Duet of Liness (side by side)
2019 (excerpt, 4 min 34 sec)
Two multilingual, who had never met before, whose backgrounds evoke intricate international relations, write words in their languages on the window: One writes a word that she translates from the word the other has written; and while one writes, the other traces. They exchange the roles to lead and follow alternately.
O-U
2020 (excerpt, 2 min 37 sec, with transcript of Kansai dialect & English translation)
It is a vocal trace of an attempt to reconcile with my distant 'mother tongue' after linguistic estrangement.
A voice in Kansai dialect, pronouncing a series of poetic words that depart from a gliding vowel 'o-u'.
Who is Rupert?
2022 (4 min 51 sec)
Made for an anniversary of an art institution in Lithuania, called "Rupert".
The video is an interpretation of the documentation of a workshop "Verbal Acts (name-giving trilogue)", a workshop with two South African artists to give me a new name through discussion.
Purify the Air and Our Mind
2018 (4 min 41 sec)
An interview made by Clémence de Montgolfier for BCC channel episode 5 'Empathy, Knowledge and (self-government'.
I talk about my urban and social intervention Pure Diffusion (2015-6), and I also share my privatel practice of caring the bullied fruits and veggies at shops.