Morimura Yasumasa's Unexpected Visitors

I spent most of Friday the 4th of March making final adjustments to my talk "Morimura Yasumasa: Simulacra, Identity, and Memory" that I presented on Saturday at the KU Art History Symposium. Below is the photo Unexpected Visitors, from Morimura's 2010 series "Requiem" which was the focus of my paper and presentation. Morimura is an appropriation artist who uses digital techniques to insert his self portrait into various works of art. In the "Requiem" series he explores 20th century history in four chapters, including works that re-present Hitler, Kennedy, Gandhi and other well known documentary photographs of the century. In this image he envisions himself as General MacArthur and Emperor Hirohito from the widely published September 29, 1945 news photo that commemorated the first meeting of the two leaders. Morimura acts as both men and places the image in his parent's Osaka tea shop, making the personal connection even deeper.