For Yoko Inoue, art is like a bomb: Throw it into a crowded street and the truth just might explode out of it.
The Japanese-born, New York-based multimedia and performance artist takes aim at society's assumptions about commerce and culture using works rooted in intensive research. This time, her target is the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Inoue has been at work since February of this year on a project she calls "Rice Paper" ("Kome Kami"), a wall-mounted bilingual newspaper addressing the trade agreement currently being negotiated by 12 Pacific Rim nations, including Japan and the United States. The deal would reduce tariffs on goods such as rice, cars and beef, and alter other policies to encourage international trade. Despite lagging negotiations and stiff opposition from Japanese farmers and other stakeholders, it remains a priority for both U.S. President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
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