Kizugawa City, the setting of this exhibition, has been blessed with beautiful mountains and rivers since ancient times. It is a region with a rich history that still retains temples and stone Buddhas that Buddhism strongly influenced in the southern capital of Nara. In the past, satoyama, temples, shrines, and Buddhist temples between the mountains and the city loosely connected people with the natural world, but now, with the significant changes that have taken place in Gakkentoshi and New Town, the boundary between people and nature appears to be becoming more pronounced.
In this work, the artist will create an installation using as motifs the bamboo lilies, an ancient species she encountered through her fieldwork. These lilies, which bloom quietly in the wind in the satoyama of Kaseyama, are said to be a mountain where gods descend. The sand of the Kizu River, which has been constantly moving and changing the land since time immemorial, will also be incorporated into the installation.
The sand in the Kizu River's water is always in motion, being carried, deposited, and repeatedly scraped away before returning to the ocean.
At the heart of this installation is Kaseyama, a divine mountain where people and nature have shared a profound connection since ancient times. Even now, a few bamboo grass lilies bloom quietly in the wind, a testament to the enduring bond between humanity and the natural world.
The Vairocana Buddha of the Kegon Sutra, one of the teachings of Nanto Buddhism, and Dainichi Nyorai, the principal deity of the Shingon sect, are both presented as the Buddha of the radiance of the sun. Their light is the light of wisdom and comets, illuminating all sentient beings and filling them with light. This is expressed as 'one equals one and all equals one' and 'all things are made up of unrelated relationships (karma),' which is called the Dharma realm of karma, a key concept in Buddhism.
In addition to worshipping Buddhist statues and stone Buddhas, the artist visited the Institute of Photon Science. Here, she was able to see the workings of the invisible molecular and quantum levels through the irradiation of nano-, pico, and femto (dust, vague, and momentary) light for extremely short periods of time. This experience inspired her for this installation, as it allowed her to approach the mystery of the Big Bang of the universe, A theme that resonates with the transient nature of the bamboo lilies and the sand of the Kizu River.
This installation is a sensory journey, inviting you to perceive it with all five senses. It aims to awaken our innate ability to listen to the 'voices' of the world and nature, and to heighten our sensitivity to the joy of communion with them.
