Mixed Media, video projections, sound, perspex, floor pillows, antique amplifier, antique earphones, 2008
Interactive Installation
Kyoto Art Center, Japan
Funded by the Royal College of Art and Kyoto City University of Arts
Based on the writings of Lafcadio Hearn.
Hearn was an eccentric Victorian author who eventually ended up in Japan. His most famous works are transcriptions of ancient Japanese folk tales and ghost stories.
What I find interesting is that a Greek Irishman from England ended up preserving the ancient legends of such a private place, especially as the stories had only been part of an oral tradition.
Gleanings is an amalgamation of many things. I used passages from Hearn's stories as a starting point. In particular, Mimi-nashi Hōichi.
I filmed a traditional calligraphist painting the text, which was projected on one side of the perspex scroll. I collected antique postcards and made a movie of still images, which shown on the other side.
For the sound, I recorded myself reading the passages in Japanese. I also created a composition from various recordings I made while I was there.
When two people were sat at the piece, two shadows were cast onto the perspex. The opposite projected image could be seen within the void. The sound was split in two parts. Speech on one side, composition on the other.
