CultureJoshua MooreJune 01, 2026

Permanence and Power: MES’ Message for The Forgotten - MES X PARCO SPECIAL IN YOU

CultureJoshua MooreJune 01, 2026

With flames slowly searing their skin as the wax from candles spelling “CEASE” drips down drop by drop, the sluggish process of MES’ (Takeru Arai and Kanae Tanikawa) performance series, WAX P-L/R-A/E-Y, calls for a true ceasefire regarding Israel and Palestine. The Tokyo-based artist duo who formed in 2015 while studying at the Tokyo University of the Arts exemplifies the power of action.

Since WAX P-L/R-A/E-Y’s debut in 2024 in Mexico City, Arai and Tanikawa have performed over 30 times. From the streets to galleries to the nightclubs, they bring their message to the eyes of the people. Whether it’s under club lights with lasers flashing or the parties they’ve thrown themselves here in Japan, MES understands the importance of community.

Seeing that need for community due to Covid, MES’ party series, REVOLIC, emerged in 2022 as a way to bring “edgy revolutionaries” together. Composed of a diverse mixture of genres and mediums like DJs, sound artists, performers, VJs, and pop-ups, REVOLIC truly immerses the audience through curation, music, and visuals.

This search for “edgy revolutionaries” embodies MES’ artistic approach. In collaboration with Russian anti-war activists in Japan, MES’ exhibition, Through The Bars, presented over 140 works of artists and political prisoners who have faced or are currently undergoing imprisonment in Russia for their anti-war position. A platform to hear and experience the perspectives of the people doing the work on the frontlines to create peace, the 2025 exhibition highlights MES efforts towards injustice everywhere.

Fearless, MES’ socio-political messages demand presence. Informed by their decade-long tenure as laser VJs and their obsession with light and heat, MES engages with feelings of permanence. These marks and messages don’t leave; they’re ingrained into their skin. In an interview with Parco, MES said these actions just felt natural; for a long time they never labeled what they were doing as “performances.” It’s just who they are. Much like lasers, their words and actions brought response.

Another performance series, ダイ／ DA-I (2024), illuminates the dark history behind the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. Searing the words written by anarchist Fumiko Kaneko during her years of imprisonment into their skin, this performance speaks to MES’ themes of resistance and voice. Uncomfortable truths need to be said and truly felt, not brushed over.

Recognizing the power of MES’ message, Parco selected them for their 27th installment of “SPECIAL IN YOU.” A campaign in which the cultural custodian of PARCO backs up-and-coming artists. From Saturday, October 24th to November 16th, MES’ exhibition “レイ／RE-I” will be on display at PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO. Truly special, MES’ message is more important than ever.