Foretaste Nº 2
An occasional newsletter as a deep dive into the minds, habits, obsessions, affairs, and influences of our friends and fam.
Together & Ayoto Ataraxia
For the second issue of the Foretaste newsletter we’re thrilled to introduce our friend Ayoto Ataraxia. Ayoto is an artist who has worked as a director, writer, performing artist, producer, poet and musician. He graduated cum laude from Istituto Europeo di Design in 2009, and graduated with honours from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, 2013.
He is currently hosting the highly interesting Asian Provocation, exploring queer Asian diasporic identities through conversations and stories.
Currently
Creative Director and host of Asian Provocation
Currently Reading
The Islands of Otherness
Up and coming interview on season two of Asian Provocation with Hungarian Economic Historian, who has taught in Japan for 17 years as educator and social scientist. This book is the antidote for the often fetishization and problematic way of the myth of Japan, and perpetuating other forms of mainstreaming violence and fetishization as well as model minority issues of Asian constructions that is not talked about.
Elias Canetti — Crowds and Power
Deconstructing the parallels between ruling and paranoia, and explorations of Crowds and Power. The opening chapter is titled Fear of being Touched, is already a huge selling point in this time of the pandemic.
The Great Transformation — Polani
A sociology book that is still relevant today, as we are in a place of extremity and how do we learn from history and ourselves within this structure of the economy.
Currently Watching
Can’t get you out of my head - Adam Curtis
Favourite film this year, cross examining everything from 2pac to Mao Zedong’s wife Jiang Qing, individualism, national myths, AI, and the failure of technology that it promises itself to be. Three parts on youtube, the other three you’ll have to hunt down. Just saw this was recommended in Foretaste Nº1 too.
Other than that I’m watching all films relating to Asian Masculinity, as a political act. I’m curating #AsianMasculinity100 in cinema as an observation of different examples of Asian Men.
Currently Listening
To my podcast guests on Asian Provocation.
Ichiko Aoba — qp
Currently Eating
My 30kg batch of kimchi I just fermented.
Currently Drinking
Lots of water, and staying hydrated. I quit the cult of alcohol 10 years ago.
Currently Obsessed About
Streaming, the arrival of 5g and breaking through the 5th wall of cinema
Currently Distracted By
The stock market, and the future of the economy / hyper inflation / war between US + China.
Currently Trying to Avoid
Drinking the Kool-Aid of myths, nationalism, romanticism and positivity.
Also trying to avoid this.
Currently Frightened By
The fear of white people. Fear and ignorance and perpetuation of white supremacy in subtle forms. Frightened by micro aggressions as an Asian living in a white society. Frightened by gaslighting of the anti-Asian hate that has been perpetuated throughout history, and the explosion of it.
Currently Transcended By
Sleep…
Currently Fulfilled With
Connecting and hearing the stories of the unheard in my podcasting.
Ayoto
Quick highlights from the Slacks:
Nothing (apart from the investors list) by Martijn.
NFT’s, and The Unreasonable Ecological Cost of CryptoArt by Joachim.
AI generated animation of a piano player by Thomas.
Transnomadica by Jess.
Basic.space by Roel N.
Sam Gendel’s new album Fresh Bread by Thomas T.
The System Podcast by Jordi.
Hope you enjoyed this one - see you in Slack!
PS1. We won’t send an email every damn week, and if you really hate it, you can unsubscribe (but you will drop out the slack too :-P) So remember, the only way in is out...
PS2. There are enough bots and ghosts in our lives and we’ve always seen Together&, human and alive. If you’re a genius mind whiling to share your inspiration, we love you. With that in mind, and our upmost respect, we will keep inviting more lovely & inspiring people and letting others go, with the only aim that by doing so this Slack group will bring us all much more than the expected. Let’s do this!