Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2010

A lot of places around the world are going through hard times at the moment. Helsinki-based artists Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen have found a unique way to tap into the international angst and occasional black humor this generates with their “complaints choirs.” Visiting various cities around the world, the pair has been inviting ordinary people to not only voice their complaints, but to set them to music and sing. Late last year they added Tokyo to their list. The hilarious and thought-provoking results can be seen at the Mori Art Museum in MAM Project 10: Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen, with videos of choirs from around the world. While Chicago sings “I can’t stop thinking about sex” and “My damn boss has outsourced my job but he gets to keep his,” Tokyo replies with lines like “My pension record was deleted” and “The cat that lives near my house ignores me.”

Mori Art Museum
MAM Project 010: Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen. Various media. Until Feb 28, ¥500 (MS and under)/¥1,000 (HS, univ)/¥1,500 (adult). 53F Mori Tower Roppongi Hills, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku. Tel: 03-5777-8600. Open Wed-Mon 10am-10pm, Tue 10am-5pm. Nearest stn: Roppongi. www.mori.art.museum/eng