Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi is a beautiful artwork by Masayuki Kishimoto and something that you need to see. Seeing Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi itself is more than enough to appreciate its beauty but the more you learn about it and the more you understand the process the more you appreciate the beauty of this artwork.
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi Entrance
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
The artwork is nothing more than a lot of dishes and pots that have been joined together. The joining process, called Kintsugi, uses an old technique of fixing pottery and kitchenware. Family heirlooms and other pottery from famous artists would often break due to earthquakes. Rather than throwing them away, a new art was developed to salvage them. The pottery pieces would be rejoined using gold making the pottery new and beautiful in a different way.
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
Detail of Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi takes this beautiful Kintsugi tradition and turns dishes and pottery from Shodoshima into a complete work of art. The dishes are no longer useful in their original form but the new sculptures that he created are beautiful. I have heard that Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi has been moved around Shodoshima a few times and when I visited it, the sculptures were in an old warehouse in Hishionosato. The room was small and the lighting was a bit poor but it really added to the atmosphere of the exhibit. It was mysterious and beautiful at the same time.
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
I really love Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi. The full experience of being in a dusty old warehouse as well as the beautiful sculptures really highlighted the work itself. It was located in a difficult location to visit but I was happy I was able to enjoy it and would love to see it again. In the mid-summer heat it was difficult to truly enjoy it but I think a second visit would make me love it even more.
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
Detail of Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi
Information
- Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi (Official Setouchi Triennale Site)
- Masayuki Kishimoto (Official Site)
- Kintsugi (Wikipedia)
I can’t believe I never really talked about it on my blog. Thanks for doing it first. 😉
Yes, the artwork moved around quite a bit.
In 2010, it was in a small warehouse in Nakayama, then in 2011-2012, it was in the main building of Olive Park, but it wasn’t a good location, as it was in full light, on the side of a large room.
The current location really is the best, as you mentioned the poor lighting actually adds to it.
Actually, one small part of the artwork can be found in the window of a bank in Tonosho (on the main road, near the post office) and you instantly see how it needs some special lighting to really look great (the shades matter as much as the objects).
On a side note, back in 2010, it was possible to buy smaller versions of the artwork (one dish really if I remember correctly) except that there was a catch. The one you’d buy would be sent to a random person who’d buy one too, and you’d receive a random piece from another buyer. I think you could actually contact the other person to create a network of people, but I can’t remember exactly as I didn’t do it.
Hehehe. I’m sure there are artworks that I have already written about and you haven’t talked about yet. I have everything that I have seen during the Triennale all finished. It is just a matter of releasing it over time. I hope to finish before the next Triennale.
Never knew about the Tonosho one. Maybe next time we can take a quick look if it is still there.
The 2010 edition sounds interesting. Wish I could have taken part in it, but alas I wasn’t even there for that edition.
There are indeed many artworks that I haven’t talked about yet (usually by lack of time, sometimes because I don’t have good pictures to show), but I surprise myself that I still haven’t talked about this one, as it’s from 2010. (lack of good pictures maybe the reason – I took some last year.)