EN
Aruku 18 歩く十八
Studio Kura
Aruku 18 歩く十八 aims to capture the signs of the passage of time within temporal traces of rural landscapes of the Itoshima region, located in the Fukuoka prefecture, Japan. Inspired by Jiro Taniguchi's graphic novel The Walking Man, this residency project unfolded at Studio Kura through a series of 18 walks and a multidisciplinary approach involving scanning techniques, photography, video and sound recording.
In the fashion of Taniguchi's protagonist, I undertook daily contemplative walks, inspired by the concept of dérive, developed by the Situationist International during the 1950s, allowing myself to be guided by the landscapes and capture their subtle nuances. Through these drifts and meanders, I aspired to suspend the temporal traces and markers of rural environments, like relics offering a testimony to the passage of time, while incorporating a perspective and approach rooted within nature’s own transformation. This process also seeks to give legitimacy to that which is decaying or neglected, allowing it to exist as a new beginning rather than an endpoint.
In the same way that fossils reveal geological history, the visual and auditory elements collected throughout this project uncover a rural history nestled between rice paddy-fields, sparse dwellings, seashores, and the primary industrial scenery of the Itoshima region. They act as silent witnesses, revealing the temporal and cultural depth of these landscapes, and weaving a complex narrative of interactions between nature and humanity.
The material gathered during these daily walks culminates in a multidisciplinary installation that retraces the visual and auditory journey undertaken during this month in residency. The installation seeks to offer a sensory experience that transcends traditional linear storytelling, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the temporal traces left on these explored landscapes. Aruku 18 歩く十八 reflects on our relationship with temporality and presents the act of walking as a means of slowing down, summoning a more intimate connection with the world around us.
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The creation of this work was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts.