About “Ordinary Whales” Most species of whales migrate from northern seas to southern seas as seasons pass. On the way, they go by many countries where a variety of cultures exist. Thus, different people see whales in very different ways. Whales are caught and eaten by humans in some places. In some other places, whales are regarded as human’s ancestors, so people never kill whales. Whales are talked about in different languages respectively, and different stories are woven out of this multitude of human experiences. But these differences often cause conflicts. In some sense, such conflicts are as tears in a piece of textile. “Text” and “textile” share the same origin in Latin word “texere,” which means, “to weave.” In many languages, expressions for words are associated with those for cloth. If pieces of textile can be sewn together and beautifully remade with embroidery, then the scattered stories of whales, which sometimes cause conflicts, may be gathered together and woven into a new image. The publication “Ordinary Whales” will collect stories about whales from people living in various places. This publication will be woven with texts and embroideries based on these stories. Someday, these collected words will cover the world like a patchwork quilt, revealing an unforeseen image of humans and whales together.
BACK NUMBERS Vol.1: Aji Island / Ayukawahama(2016) Vol.2: Point Hope (2016) Vol.3: Oshika Peninsura to Taijiura (2017) Vol.4: Raven in Abashiri (2017) Vol.5: Eating Gods: The Karakuwa Peninsula (2018) Vol.6: Shinnecock Indian Nation, Long Island (2020)
From “Ordinary Whales” The publication “Ordinary Whales” is calling for stories about whales. Please share your stories about whales with us. If you know someone who knows about whales well or some place that has been involved with whales, please send the information to: [email protected]