"Father memory" by Chiharu Shiota on Teshima

Chiharu Shiota, who was born in Osaka in 1972, has been based in Berlin
since 1996.
Her art work, “Father memory” is installed in an abandoned Auditorium. Many years ago it was used as an elementary school, Which many people attended. The school building was destroyed,
and only the auditorium and some rusty play equipment still remain.

When she visited there the first time, she might have imagined the sound of children laughing and people: rice planting and harvesting rice. This place is where old memories can be conjured up in our mind.

For creating the work, she gathered from 500 to 600 various types of window frames from Teshima and Naoshima, to make a big tunnel with assorted window frames in the middle of the auditorium. When you stand in the play ground, and to look at the auditorium, you can see the idyllic scene through the big hole of the tunnel.
The scene might inspire you to think of the past, where people have seen at one time.

When close to the tunnel, the window frames are arranged in a very fine balance; big and small, dark color and light color, and even space balance. I think that she has a good sense of art.

All of a sudden, I remembered the time which I saw her art work ” the room of memory” in the Kanazawa 21th century museum.

In there, huge window frames, painted white, were combined like a wall, and it created a distinctive world.

I’d felt like wandering into the past, where it was quiet and time was stopped. Actually, I could see the past through each window frame.

Window frames are daily products we use. I was surprised that window frames, not such special things, could cause us a great impression.

When I’ve faced her art works, some how, I’ve evoked my worries and aaaaaaaaathe room of memory 2009

loneliness and the limited time of my life. In my busy day, time goes so fast, and I don’t even think about it. I need to realize the remaining time, to live a more meaningful life.

http://www.chiharu-shiota.com/