Nagano, Japan · 2023
Tobichi Art Museum Residency
During a six-month residency at Tobichi Art Museum in Nagano, Japan, I developed three site-specific projects inspired by local materials, seasonal traditions, and everyday life. Through sculpture, participation, and sound, the residency explored how shared making and collective experiences can create new relationships between people, objects, and place.
Serpent in the Grass, Line in the Ash
An interactive sound installation created entirely from agricultural tools and everyday objects reclaimed from abandoned houses. Installed in a former shogi hall no longer in use, the work invited visitors to activate the instruments through collective improvisation and participation.
Mochi Ritual
Inspired by the traditional wooden mallets used for New Year mochi pounding, this project reimagined everyday tools as sculptural objects. The carved mallets were activated during a collective mochi-making event, bringing together local residents through shared gestures, rhythm, and celebration.
Situated Sculptures
Developed from reclaimed local wood, these sculptures explored different ways of inhabiting a place. One appeared temporarily within the landscape, while another found a permanent home in a local shop, allowing the work to become part of everyday encounters long after the residency had ended.
