Hakata Drive-in
1998
Memorealism
Museum City Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan

Based on a true story, the exhibition was an honest tributary look into the life of one hard working Fukuoka taxi driver, Toshimi Matsuo, who has been driving cabs for half a century. Navin Rawanchaikul met Matsuo in early 1998 when took his taxi to the airport, learning he had been driving taxis in Hakata, the old name for Fukuoka, since he was 16. Matsuo showed Navin photographic records, which Navin adopted into a comic book and a series of cinema billboards. Relating the life of Matsuo in tandem to the development of Fukuoka as a metropolis, the project posted hand-painted billboards in a downtown mall, a train station, and other prominent sites around the city. As part of Museum City Fukuoka, the comic was distributed in several taxis including Matsuo’s cab. A small noodle stand was also set up at the Information Centre of the bi-annual outdoor art festival, where “Taxi Ramen” from one of Fukuoka’s best known noodle shops was served in specially decorated soup bowls. The 500 limited-edition bowls by Navin Production were given out as keepsakes when you bought soup and had it delivered to this place.
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