Exhibitions and dancing in the streets.

That Laurie Anderson, she's as mad as a bag of badgers I tell you.

How do I know this, well I went to an exhibition this morning Laurie Anderson the Record of Time at the ICC in Shinjuku.

When I say "mad", of course what I mean to say is wildly imaginative and creative. It was actually quite a cool little exhibition by turns funny and thought provoking. As an artist she seems to be fascinated in exploring the boundaries between technology and the performer and many of the performances and instalations reflect this interest. For example, there was a pair of glasses with a microphone embedded in the bridge of the nose that amplifies sound reverberating around your skull. Which basically means that if you bash your head with your fist - you get a pretty good beat. Or there was the jump-suit with drum machine sensors imbedded in it that can only be played if the performer slaps themselves in the manner of someone who is manically attempting to put out a fire. Completely bonkers, but somehow compelling.

However the installation which I liked the most (and which I plan to make in the near future) was the Handphone table (1978). This piece: "requires you to sit, put your elbows on two buttons in indentations in the tabletop, then lean forward and put your hands over your ears. Your posture gives you a sudden sense of isolation, and rumbling sounds like the low tones of an organ's biggest pipes travel from the tabletop through your arms to your ears." To my mind this is the perfect posture when you are suffering the effects of a hangover or are having to enduring an argument with a loved one but would rather be off down the pub acquiring a hangover. Anyway the effect was rather strange and as I say, I now want one.

After the exhibition I hooked up with some friends at Harajuku and we wondered over to Yoyogi park, where the gay pride march was taking place. The place was packed with guys wearing wonderfully outrageous costumes.

We joined one of the floats and made our way through the streets of Shibuya. It was funny watching all the various reactions from the people lining in the streets, which ranged from the bemused to the insanely ecstatic.

We were having fun, but then we saw the float behind us, or rather heard it... They were playing dance music and were shaking their collective booties down the streets. We looked at each other and decided to jump ship.




Once we joined the new float the party really started. I don't think I'll get too many other opportunities to dance through the streets of Tokyo.