Hiroshima-born, Berlin-based sound artist Mieko Suzuki has a fantastic crank on her hands – a gold cat.While we know of the traditional "Maneki-neko lucky cat" as a symbol of luck and wealth, here we have an altered version. The techno cat you see here is called the MNM.In its full-length name, the Maneki-neko Mieko (which now includes other performers) is a project created by German artist Christian Graupner. The triple-channel, audio-visual machine invites spectators to control the flow of pre-recorded audio and video by “playing” the lucky cat’s arm (as an art installation).The lucky cat brought to life on stage with Mieko Suzuki.The cat holds a record player, has a slot machine and is backed by a projector where Singapore dancer Ming Poon moves to the music onscreen. “MNM is a kind of remix of cultural and popular symbols,” says Suzuki. It looks like an interactive video game or performance art that moves with music.Shown recently at the Cynetart festival in Dresden and the Nemo festival in Paris, the MNM is still quite new to hit the stage. It’s a new approach for Suzuki, a veteran of the Tokyo techno scene as a DJ since 1998, known to sample films and voice recordings in tracks. Instead of doing the same-old set, she sees this as next-level DJing.
“I’m operating the MNM to present a kind of re-embodiment of electronic music,” she says, “offering a chance to enter a new level in DJing.”The MNM is a self-described "post-pop sculpture" where popular objects are hacked, remixed and put on display as sculpture – while simultaneously played. It’s also a bit of a mindfuck.“It’s a playful dialogue,” said Suzuki.A video documenting how the hacked lucky cat was made by Christian GraupnerFollow @nadjasayej on Twitter
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