Oita Sightseeing Wall
-“World Cuckoo-Clock, WORLD could be a safe place CLOCK” created by Mai Miyake

On the west wall of the atrium, an art sightseeing wall has been created by a contemporary artist for Oita. It imagines Oita traditions coming back to the present.
Mai Miyake is a contemporary artist deeply versed in Japanese origins and history, who revitalizes her knowledge into up-to-date expressions. She has installed cuckoo-clocks, which are used in many homes and are a symbol of peace and a happy family circle, like a world map centered on Oita’s cuckoo-clock. Additionally, she is exhibiting three more pieces; Oita’s picture scroll which changes views by showing or hiding surfaces moment by moment, two interactive pools on the theme of water, and a work displaying a huge traditional lantern to represent a divine spirit.
These works are re-creations of myths which place Oita in the center of love and peace.

 

The roots of discord and world peace are in our homes. People can be kind towards others when they are in love, when they live in a safe and calm environment, and when they have a comfortable home life. However, the opposite can be equally true.
Large communities such as nations and the world originate from smaller communities, such as families and the home. A clock that people can always see in their homes can be representative of a time bomb ticking ahead for peace or war. A dove that symbolizes peace appears from the Cuckoo-Clock.
The concept of the work is that people can make peace return, by making our families and regional communities happy and harmonious. The work is a sublimation of the support and commitment of those who agree to the concept.

U-SYSTEM.Inc,　WAKO INC, Kurotani Bijutsu Ltd., Dai Ito

London, New York  Savannah Bader, Holly Brown, Rosalind Grubin
Paris  Sophie Cavaliero, Joan Larroumec
Amsterdam  Johan Kramer, Reyer Kras, Gea E.M. van de Lagemaat
Singapore  Yushi Han, Veronica Howe
Hong Kong  The Halo Studio, Andreas Yasaratne, Angela Wong
Amsterdam, Singapore, Hong Kong  Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

The human body is composed 90 percent of water. In the womb we float in amniotic fluid and are unable to live without water. In the modern world, we live a short walk from convenience-stores and automatic vending machines. We can buy bottles of water and various other goods using the internet and websites. We have forgotten the importance of water in our lives. When we go to nearby seas, rivers and waterfalls, we can experience the beauty of the environment and breathe in the fresh air. When we float in hot springs, seas and lakes we are aware of our bodies connecting to the earth and becoming restored. There are some things we should take the time to look at closely, to listen to carefully, and to look for whilst holding our breath, because it is only a matter of course before things that are a common sight, such as water, become uncommon. It is important to recognize their importance without being distracted by noises or people.
There are some things that should not be swept clean.

SANWA CORPORATION LTD., Nakagawa Chemical Inc., MORI GLASS Co., Ltd.

To be unable to see the forest for the sight of the trees, and to fail to see the trees for the sight of the forest leads to both being viewed imperfectly. People say ‘God is in the details’, however, the detail escapes us if we do not look closely enough. A complete view is found only after overlooking. To see something clearly is often difficult for us.
We are usually overconfident to grasp the facts and the whole picture without fully seeing.
What we thought we saw is only a portion of the whole picture after all, because what we see is often distorted by our minds.

Kobayashi Gakubuchi Seisakusho Co., Ltd, Machiko Yamauchi

Oita has typically Japanese features. People in Oita have many gods and beliefs, ranging from nature worship, Shintoism, Buddhism and Christianity. These beliefs coexist in many layers developed over a long period of time.
Originally Japanese people sometimes expressed their feelings and emotions through objects. Multitudinous gods are big-hearted and greedy, and through their eyes and hearts they can ascertain the essence of things. This notion can be used to express to features of Oita.
Oita lanterns are displayed as a guidepost for ancestors and lovers to return safely to their families during Bon Festival. Each of these figures represents a divine spirit. The objects are made from wood and tree pulp, and symbolize a forest in which our souls exist. It may be a place where lives return, a house in which souls come back to, and a hometown to which minds return. This work was created with a prayer that every ancestor and lover return safely to their families.

Kazuaki Kawano, SANWA CORPORATION LTD., Olectronica

Mai Miyake creates works which seek to explore the true nature of things, whilst connecting past, present, and future seamlessly by using techniques that combine the sensibility and profundity of Japanese traditional arts and crafts with the artist’s own unique sprit. She does not limit her media or restrict her work to just one genre, and she works in genres such as antiques, crafts, contemporary art and design. Her activities include solo and group exhibitions and workshops at the Contemporary Art Gallery at Art Tower Mito, Shanghai Duolun Museum of Modern Art, POLA Museum of Art, Mori Art Museum, and Setagaya Art Museum, as well as private galleries, such as Gallery Murakoshi, Gallery Kochukyo, Bunkamura Gallery and more. She has also worked on commissioned works such as Maison Hermès (Ginza), and Banraisha Gallery of Keio University Hiyoshi. She received a scholarship for 2008-2009 Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts (Paris, France). Three books of her collections have been published such as “Maku Meiro: Down the Rabbit Hole” (Hatori Press, Inc. 2012).