Have you ever felt the urge to be closer to something beautiful yet felt the distance? The CONNECTION sculpture at the Mori Art Museum’s Roppongi Crossing 2019 exhibition explored this very feeling. It wasn’t a single object but an experience. The artists aimed to create a piece of art that was more than just the physical sculpture itself.
The sculpture was called Contact. The artists Haruka Kojin Kenji Minamigawa and Hirofumi Masui of the art team m were interested in how viewers perceive things. The artists conceived of the sea as a motif. They considered how different it looks near and far. From a distance the sea seems beautiful and tranquil. Closer the waves crash against rocks. The sea spray is powerful. It may not be what you expected. Kojin explained this is because we only see the physical elements not the essence.
The title Contact in Japanese is Keitai. Kei means scenery Tai means physical. The sculpture aims to bridge these two. It shows what is unseen what lies between appearance and reality. The artists observed viewers at the exhibition. Some people said they felt they could fall in. Others gazed intently. Some walked away unimpressed. All responses were equally valid.
The team considered the viewer’s route an integral part of the work. They didn’t want a sudden presentation a simple Look at this. Instead they wanted viewers to see what they called scenery that cannot be seen. The artists carefully planned the way viewers would approach and interact with the artwork. They even imagined the visitor’s path simulating it many times before the unveiling.
The creation of Contact wasn’t easy. There were many discussions about the samples many adjustments and refinements. The artists strived to understand each other perfectly. They held regular mental meetings to express feelings and clear up any misunderstandings. It was crucial that they were in tune to eliminate and enhance elements effectively.
The CONNECTION sculpture isn’t just about a physical object. It is about the interaction between viewers and art the impact of perception and the way we see the world. It leaves us wondering. What unseen connections do we miss? What is the essence of what we see? The artists hoped to create an interaction that would trigger such questions within the viewers’ minds.