LOST IN TRANSLATION - Chapter 4 Teshima
Onto Teshima.
This whole trip stemmed from a heart-beat as I told you in the first chapter. But let’s go back a little to Christian Boltanski. It was in 2010 when he created the third edition of Monumenta. An artist is asked every year to use the whole of the Grand Palais with an installation.
Boltanski’s work brought home the ineluctability of death and the fragility of human life. I can remember so well as it was a powerful physical and psychological experience, with the spectator placed "in the heart" of the work rather than looking on. Visitors were welcomed by a wall of ageing metal before discovering, beneath the cupola roof, a mountainous pile of clothes. A crane, - randomly grabbed garments from the pile, discarding others, while around the Nave clothes were laid out on the floor in a grid of rectangles to the accompaniment of amplified heartbeat. Every sound was different. Christian Boltanski was deeply marked by the memory of the Shoa and designed this installation accordingly. Without any doubt, it was one of the most moving installations I have ever seen. And there, my heart beat was recorded.
The small building where the heart beats were archived in Teshima was tiny, rather like a wooden shed and gave onto a beach.
As we were the first to arrive, the reception seemed like a Dr’s waiting room. Two girls, one to look up « your heart beat » and the other to answer questions - in the usual broken English. She found my file very easily. When I saw it on the computer screen, it maybe rather foolish to say, but tears welled up in my throat. We were then ushered into a small room. So black that I was looking for a hand to guide me. A single light globe went on and off - on and off - it was my heart beat.
The globe played the music of that beat in unison with the sound. I was glad to be in the blackened room as tears were now filling my eyes. Quite a few minutes later another sound could be heard. Laurent took me by the shoulder. Someone else was listening to their heartbeat.
I think what is so touching about the idea is that we always try to capture people you love with photos: The recording of the heartbeats are like photographs: they capture a part of someone. Boltanski was asked by Mr Fukutake of Benesse Art to visit this island in Japan. That is what inspired him to make a library of heartbeats because the island was so beautiful. It was very quiet and isolated, and you could hear the heartbeats of the person you love in a very quiet way.
I doubt if anyone will listen to mine again. When I die though, it will still go on without me…
But let’s not leave Teshima on that rather dreary note…
First of all there was the beach and I captured Laurent and Jerome jumping for joy. This was enough to bring me back to the real world.
Walking back on the same tracks, we came to a playground which was part of an art project. Here they were not always successful in getting the ball into the basket but it was fun watching them.
There were other exhibits which were dotty and rather odd.
Unfortunately we were not able to see the Teshima museum with its unique installation. The outside building was already quite something. We couldn’t do everything.Called Teshima Yokoo House.
But one last look at the views.
It had been an uplifting day somehow and there was still a lot to see...
This whole trip stemmed from a heart-beat as I told you in the first chapter. But let’s go back a little to Christian Boltanski. It was in 2010 when he created the third edition of Monumenta. An artist is asked every year to use the whole of the Grand Palais with an installation.
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| Boltanski - Monumenta 2010 |
Boltanski’s work brought home the ineluctability of death and the fragility of human life. I can remember so well as it was a powerful physical and psychological experience, with the spectator placed "in the heart" of the work rather than looking on. Visitors were welcomed by a wall of ageing metal before discovering, beneath the cupola roof, a mountainous pile of clothes. A crane, - randomly grabbed garments from the pile, discarding others, while around the Nave clothes were laid out on the floor in a grid of rectangles to the accompaniment of amplified heartbeat. Every sound was different. Christian Boltanski was deeply marked by the memory of the Shoa and designed this installation accordingly. Without any doubt, it was one of the most moving installations I have ever seen. And there, my heart beat was recorded.
The small building where the heart beats were archived in Teshima was tiny, rather like a wooden shed and gave onto a beach.
As we were the first to arrive, the reception seemed like a Dr’s waiting room. Two girls, one to look up « your heart beat » and the other to answer questions - in the usual broken English. She found my file very easily. When I saw it on the computer screen, it maybe rather foolish to say, but tears welled up in my throat. We were then ushered into a small room. So black that I was looking for a hand to guide me. A single light globe went on and off - on and off - it was my heart beat.
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| The lightbulb |
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| My certificate |
The globe played the music of that beat in unison with the sound. I was glad to be in the blackened room as tears were now filling my eyes. Quite a few minutes later another sound could be heard. Laurent took me by the shoulder. Someone else was listening to their heartbeat.
I think what is so touching about the idea is that we always try to capture people you love with photos: The recording of the heartbeats are like photographs: they capture a part of someone. Boltanski was asked by Mr Fukutake of Benesse Art to visit this island in Japan. That is what inspired him to make a library of heartbeats because the island was so beautiful. It was very quiet and isolated, and you could hear the heartbeats of the person you love in a very quiet way.
I doubt if anyone will listen to mine again. When I die though, it will still go on without me…
 |
But let’s not leave Teshima on that rather dreary note…
First of all there was the beach and I captured Laurent and Jerome jumping for joy. This was enough to bring me back to the real world.
 |
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"No-one wins multibasket"!
There were other exhibits which were dotty and rather odd.
 |
| The Museum for the Art Project |
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| The Art Project |
 |
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| The Art Project |
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Unfortunately we were not able to see the Teshima museum with its unique installation. The outside building was already quite something. We couldn’t do everything.Called Teshima Yokoo House.
But one last look at the views.
 |
It had been an uplifting day somehow and there was still a lot to see...
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