Motoko Fukuyama

On January 3, Motoko Fukuyama will begin work on You Never Know What Idea You Might Have, a two-month project that will forge links between Recess and Argo Electronics, located on Canal Street one block away from our storefront. Argo—a surplus electronics store that has been in existence since 1978 and is the last vestige of the Radio Row district in Lower Manhattan—will serve as both the subject for a new film by Fukuyama and the source of materials that a group of artists will use as props and narrative devices in the making of the film. The project will begin with a special performance, "Shopping At Argo," by Aki Onda on January 5. During the performance, Onda will select second-hand objects—some still functioning, most not—from Argo Electronics and then will collage them visually and aurally.

Throughout her Session, Fukuyama will present a range of guest artists with an opportunity to shop for intriguing objects from Argo’s inventory, while keeping in mind as their guiding motivation the store’s motto, “you never know what idea you might have.” The artists will return to Recess with the collected materials and concepts and will manipulate these as fodder for sculptures, poems, digital artworks, and more. Fukuyama will film the full range of the project’s activities, working toward the creation of a new quasi-documentary film about Argo’s history and its owner, David Lasevski. The Session will culminate with a screening of the film and a group exhibition of the guest artists’ creations.

As You Never Know What Idea You Might Have evolves, Recess will take on the appearance (and functionality) of a soundstage, production studio, and display space. Visitors will be invited to observe and participate as Fukuyama and the guest artists move back and forth between Argo and Recess, tracing a line of invention and experimentation across these distinct locations and reflecting on the personal and material histories that exist within the neighborhood.