Today, Berlin based video artist Kayoko Tomita popped by our office. We asked her a few questions about her life here. She showed us her recent video work ‘Bibliothek’, which is a stunning experimental video featuring unique footage from a Halle library with rhythmic sound editing. The video will be shown at international film festivals, and you can see some stills here:

Where in Japan are you from and what took you to Berlin?

I am from Kyoto in Japan and came to Berlin in spring 2011. One year later, I moved to Halle to study at Burg Giebichenstein Kunsthochschule Halle. It’s near Leipzig and I studied there for three years. Now, I live in Berlin again and I am finishing my studies from here.

What are the three greatest things about Berlin?

The first thing I would say is tolerance. Berlin is very international and open minded. I also love the ice cream shops! And of course I am attacted to the famous art environment in Berlin.

Who are your favourite artists?

The first one I would mention is the Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto. I also like the work of the London-based Japanese artist Hiraki Sawa. As a spontaneous favourite right now, I really like the French philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty these days.

Which is your favourite food and do you have a favourite restaurant and bar in Berlin?

I love smoked mackarel with radishes and soya sauce. A favourite restaurant in Kreuzberg is a French restaurant called Le Marigny. I don’t remember the name of my favourite bar, but it’s somewhere in Neukölln [Right, hahaha, ed.].

What is your biggest dream to accomplish in Berlin?

My biggest dream is to experience the development of Berlin and witness on first hand where the city will go in the future. Maybe the new airport will even open with direct flights to Japan.

You can visit Kayako’s web site here.

Photo: Kayoko Tomita (right) interviewed by Ayoko Yuse.