November, 2016

ZAI NOMURA

"LIGHTIGURE 170 SECONDS" (60seconds+62seconds+48seconds)

Unique piece

Size: 218 cm x 140 cm

Material: Three acrylic boards prints with Light Box

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The concept of the work can be described as 'compressed time and light figure itself'.

As I shoot this work, I set up one small Japanese fire works-sparkler (Senko-Hanabi) on a pedestal.

In a dark room, when I set the sparkler afire, a shutter of a large format camera (4x5) is also opened and start to exposure.

And when the sparkling of the sparkler would be finished, the shutter would be closed and end the exposure too.

So simply, the negative film of 4x5 format camera can capture whole moment from the beginning to end of the light.

Afterwards, what I did for this work is that make the negative film to print as it is with hand made light box.

I arranged three layer prints onto one format.

So the title also describes that total times of each exposures, 60 seconds + 62 seconds + 48 seconds.

And you can see whole trace of time, light and figure of each sparkler's life.

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Artist's Testimonial

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One month staying in Hamburg was not too long to make one piece of artwork, but was irreplaceable experience for an artist, for myself.

What kind of experience I got from there… was not a selfish artistic ambitious as “working international artist” but rather a collaborative creation with the people in Hamburg.

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The Residence invited me to Hamburg and allowed me making a piece as much as I wanted. That was a very generous and challenging offer for both of us, because we both did not know that what was actually going to happen before I left Tokyo. However, after couple discussions came up since I arrived, I recognized that this offer was rather collaboration between us. And that pushed me to start making an original piece in the house smoothly and certainly, although we had had few more discussions on and on. Afterwards, I started to research the local university in order to find collect printing laboratory or mounting shop. That was how we started to work together, and decided to create new original piece.

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The Residence had supported me in a many ways from life things to communications to some German companies as well. Without it's help, i could not make anything there, even could not know where I could get nice German bread, I supposed. Then, I was able to discuss with some company smoothly through warmed translation on a phone.

And from one of the company, which was local printing factory, the help was also very important role for the project. When I went to the University for researching, I got to know the printing factory and he was working there. The printing company had been always very patient to listen and accept wherever I asked and ordered very selfish requests, and then, I begun to feel that I was very lucky to know them in Hamburg.

Right now, I am in a hotel in Cambodia for another project with a T-shirts and beach sandals, sitting down on a rattan chair, and if I look back the time at a beautiful autumn in Hamburg, I very understand that many kind and compassionate people in Hamburg supported me in many ways. And that makes me think that the experience in Hamburg was so irreplaceable and unforgettable thing. For this project, I very want to insist my great appreciations for all these people.

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Biography

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Born 1979 in Hyogo
Based in Tokyo

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Cracks that form in plastic objects, shapes of ash splattered by localized explosions, objects in the dark thrown into sharp relief by bright light. Nomura’s interests lie in precisely carving out the indeterminate territory between intentional and random action through the media of sculpture and photography. In this we can recognize a metaphor for the cycle of creation and destruction in nature and in human activity, and perhaps a sense of the deep cosmic vibrations of Thanatos, but what is even more central is Nomura’s inspiration and creative process based on constant observation and documentation of microclimatic fluctuations between tension and slackness in the surrounding environment. In his work can be seen potential for renewal of the possibilities inherent in sculpture, including its intimate relationship with time and its affinity for photography.