This is a collection of short films produced by John Wells with Superflex and 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, in conjunction with the 2-part exhibition “SUPERFLEX One Year Project: The Liquid State,” April 29, 2016 to March 12, 2017.

The collection consists of a documentary about (1) the making of the artwork and the installation of part 1 of “The Liquid State,” (2) several short film that played on the monitors of the museum during the exhibition of part 1, and (3) four short film documents of the artworks that were displayed in the museum during part 2 of the exhibition: (a) “The Cultivation Act” (b) “The Fermentation Act” (c) “The Kombucha Papers” and (d) a video slide show of photos by Keizo Kioku.

 

Watch “The Kombucha Papers” here:

Documentary by John Wells about the luminescent washi paper works of artist Sarah Brayer in Kyoto, Japan.

日本語版：

Documentary about the making of a painting by artist Daniel Kelly in Kyoto, Japan.

Documentary about the making of a painting by artist Daniel Kelly in Kyoto, Japan.

A short film about the making of a woodblock print by Ninjin Jyanai in a studio by the shore of Lake Biwa in Shiga, Japan in 2010.

Documentary about photographer Laurie Toby Edison by John Wells. Edison speaks with Rebecca Jennison about her work in conjunction with the exhibition “Meditations on the Body” at the Osaka National Museum of Art. Filmed in Kyoto and Osaka Japan in August, 2001.

Ta-ken and Ren take the Nihon Ichi ramen eating challenge in Kyoto, Japan.
The rules: eat 3 huge bowls of ramen within 40 minutes.
The reward: free ramen for the rest of your life.
The consequences: you may never be able to stand the sight of ramen for the rest of your life.
The walls of the shop are decorated with the names of people who succeeded.

Features artist Daniel Kelly.

Film by John Wells

Artist Takako Matsumoto creates contemporary works of art using the traditional technique of Japanese gold leaf art known as kiri-gane. Director of Photography, Editor: John Wells.

Real Geisha Real Women is a documentary by Peter MacIntosh about the lives of several women in Kyoto, Japan of various generations who are, or have been, maiko and geiko (the Kyoto terms for geisha).

Their stories are told in their own words as a series of vignettes without the use of a narrator. Rare footage of their journeys outside of Kyoto includes a hometown visit, a trip to Tokyo, as well as travels abroad.

Real Geisha Real Women (2009)
Directed by Peter MacIntosh.
Director of Photography and Edited by John Wells

2015: El Anatsui in Kanazawa. Artist Documentary Short for 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa. Roles: Camera, Editing. Production: Africa-Related.