Eri Saito

Envisioning the Invisible​

2022, Installation (single-channel video, 15min43sec, clay sculptures created by elementary school students)

 

Imagining the feelings of others and empathizing with them is an act that underpins social life. It is natural that visual information (such as color, shape, size, and distance) differs from person to person; it is precisely for this reason that the power of imagination connects people.
This work is an installation created from clay sculptures made by elementary school students, accompanied by a video. The clay sculpture workshop was held in a pair format: one person played the role of the "explainer," and the other, with their eyes covered, took on the role of the "sculptor." The explainer was prohibited from using certain words, and was challenged to convey the task without them. Meanwhile, the sculptor, relying only on words, shaped the clay without visual input. The completed sculptures were named by the explainer, and the titles became the only clues for viewers to later search for and find the sculptures in the exhibition space.
Among the works, some are so clearly shaped that it is hard to believe they were created without sight, while others are ambiguous and elusive. These works bear traces of spatial awareness, the memory of the touch of hands, and the relationship between the pairs of participants.
The viewer is not told who created which piece, nor what task was given. However, by following the traces of the hands left behind and retracing the creation process, the viewer can experience the act of imagination itself, which does not rely on sight.
There is no right answer in creation. Searching for what is uncertain with others — that very act becomes the starting point of expression.

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Filming: Shun Ikezoe
Collaboration: Kisarazu Daiichi Elementary School, Volunteer Staff

 

*The full video recording of the workshop (15min.43sec., Japanese subtitles) is available for educational purposes. Please contact me separately for access.

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