Biennale Arte 2015, Venice - Japanese exhibit “The Key in the Hand” by Chiharu Shiota
Visually, this was my favourite exhibit from all the international pavilions in the Biennale Arte 2015 (Giardini). Titled The Key in the Hand by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, this exhibit was patiently created with over 50,000 keys suspended using red string. The keys were donated by people from America, Japan but mostly from people visiting an exhibit at the Berlin Museum. The key in your Hand symbolises ‘a chance’, “the future is in your hands” as the artist says. The colour and shape of the red form with hanging keys was inspired by the Fukushima volcano.
The Japan Pavilion curator Hitoshi Nakano explains: “In our daily lives, keys protect valuable things like our houses, assets, and personal safety, and we use them while embracing them in the warmth of our hands. By coming into contact with people's warmth on a daily basis, the keys accumulate countless, multilayered memories that dwell within us. Then at a certain point we entrust the keys, packed with memories, to others who we trust to look after the things that are important to us. In this work, Shiota will incorporate keys as a medium that conveys our true feelings. Moreover, she will place two boats in the centre of the yarn and the keys, suspended from the ceiling to the floor of the space. The boats symbolize two hands catching a rain of memories (i.e., countless keys) pouring down from the ceiling. While struggling and working with the hands, the two boats will move forward through a huge sea of memory as they collect individual memories.”
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www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV3AwzrQbIo (Interview with the artist, Chiharu Shiota).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GolS9Db3BMM (View around the exhibit. The music was added to the video and was not part of the exhibit).
2015.veneziabiennale-japanpavilion.jp/en/project/ (Rationale behind ‘The Key in the Hand’ exhibit).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiharu_Shiota (Chiharu Shiota (b.1972), Japanese artist living in Berlin).
Biennale Arte 2015, Venice - Japanese exhibit “The Key in the Hand” by Chiharu Shiota
Visually, this was my favourite exhibit from all the international pavilions in the Biennale Arte 2015 (Giardini). Titled The Key in the Hand by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota, this exhibit was patiently created with over 50,000 keys suspended using red string. The keys were donated by people from America, Japan but mostly from people visiting an exhibit at the Berlin Museum. The key in your Hand symbolises ‘a chance’, “the future is in your hands” as the artist says. The colour and shape of the red form with hanging keys was inspired by the Fukushima volcano.
The Japan Pavilion curator Hitoshi Nakano explains: “In our daily lives, keys protect valuable things like our houses, assets, and personal safety, and we use them while embracing them in the warmth of our hands. By coming into contact with people's warmth on a daily basis, the keys accumulate countless, multilayered memories that dwell within us. Then at a certain point we entrust the keys, packed with memories, to others who we trust to look after the things that are important to us. In this work, Shiota will incorporate keys as a medium that conveys our true feelings. Moreover, she will place two boats in the centre of the yarn and the keys, suspended from the ceiling to the floor of the space. The boats symbolize two hands catching a rain of memories (i.e., countless keys) pouring down from the ceiling. While struggling and working with the hands, the two boats will move forward through a huge sea of memory as they collect individual memories.”
.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV3AwzrQbIo (Interview with the artist, Chiharu Shiota).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GolS9Db3BMM (View around the exhibit. The music was added to the video and was not part of the exhibit).
2015.veneziabiennale-japanpavilion.jp/en/project/ (Rationale behind ‘The Key in the Hand’ exhibit).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiharu_Shiota (Chiharu Shiota (b.1972), Japanese artist living in Berlin).