Eri Saito

Praise​

2017, installation (LED, water, acrylic plate)

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Shirumori Shrine a well-acquainted place for people who live in Kurokawa (Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa-ken, Japan) , to worship the ‘God that protects foods’ (保食神, Ukemochi no kami in Japanese). Along with Iimori Shrine in Shinkoji (Machida-shi, Tokyo) a place where the same god is being worshiped, were the two main roles of the sacrifice ceremony in Okunitama Shrine (Fuchu-shi, Tokyo). 

 

As a shrine with historical origin, there used to be festivals that pray for a good harvest every autumn with lion dance performance and etc, whereas now, it has become a place that totally lost all those traditions and lively scenes, even the Chozuya* no longer has any running water in it.

In this work, by passing through the Torii gate, you will find the Chozuya at your left hand. A light installation is set there to illuminate the dead water as well as the past glory of the Shrine. The worship hall (Haiden in Japanese) is at the front, and at the far right, there is an unused Noh stage. A bowl-shaped installation is placed in front of it. The whole space of the shrine is widely used in this work so that the audience can walk around.

 

*Chōzu-ya or temizu-ya (手水舎) is a Shinto water ablution pavilion for a ceremonial purification rite known as temizu or chōzu (手水, lit. 'hand-water').