HIKOHKI GUMO
Jap. Vapour trail

A 20 minutes’ circus invention of an ancient tradition
12 hazel-rods – 1 length of string – a duration of 20 minutes

Vapour trail.
One dozen peeled hazel-rods varnished in white
tied together by red string.
One rod singled out from the bundle of 12 invites to a dance,
revolves,
tilts,

refuses and, swishing, cuts up space.
Now:
All rods braced together by the string and carefully placed crosswise.
All by themselves
they stand and swing, almost weightless.
Their precarious balance
tolerates much imbalance:
One rod after another is being
separated from the fans crossing each other and
is being stacked away,
pushed through the blue garment.
In the end no more space is left
within the clothes;
the body is vanishing.
A new structure continues propping them up,
reminiscent of flowing and fleeing movements.

Translation: Andreas Flückiger