Once upon a time, when the snow was whiter, blood redder and hotter and I myself was a student, I fell in love with nobody but Japan. And to show my adoration I created this project which should tell a story about "my" Japan with all its fascinating images combined and conceived. This is not something real and practical, but conceptual and lyrical.
I was studying Japanese engravings, its themes, styles, moods, composition, lines. I was captivated with the forms of traditional and modern Japanese architecture. I was reading Japanese literature to be in appropriate state of mind. I was trying to learn the language in order to understand something about the hieroglyphs, the correlation between their form and sense. And, moreover, I read several books about the Shinto, to find a soul for my project.
The starting point was the image of Japanese gardens and their motives of stone and water.
Here I was studying various natural textures.
Water is meant as a symbol of life, the energy and information medium. It connects every part of the Center's territory, all its objects and the visitors together, helping the energy of art, knowledge, feelings to interchange.
The master-plan of the territory.
"Tama" — is something like a soul, the vital energy. It is drop-shaped and luminous.
A flash drive made with a concept of 'tama'.
Some principles of Japanese aesthetic shown using the icons: unity of man and nature, spiritual space, something left non-shown, eternal and passing, simple and complex, natural and artificial, traditional and modern, quietism and stiffness.
One of the pavilions.
The Trees.
And there is the whole project. 170x300 sm.
Now it is placed in the Japan Culture Center in Minsk, Belarus. I'm very grateful to Masako Tatsumi and professor Semchenko for the assistance.
