kizunaworld.org | "Dot Synthesis," a collaborative video work by sculptor Kohei Nawa and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
kizunaworld.org #21
Sculptor Kohei Nawa and Ryuichi Sakamoto's Collaborative Video Work
kizunaworld.org (Kizuna World dot Org) is a support project for the victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake, launched by Ryuichi Sakamoto and others, which solicits donations through the works of various artists from Japan and abroad. The 21st work is a collaborative video piece titled "Dot Synthesis" by Kohei Nawa, known as a young sculptor, and Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Text by KASE Tomoshige (OPENERS)
A Work Evoking the "Primal"
kizunaworld.org was initiated by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Tomoyasu Hirano. Under the concept of "doing everything one can as an individual," the project widely collects and offers works from artists in Japan and abroad who support the initiative, soliciting donations. The project has been active for over a year and continues its sustained support into its second year and beyond, connecting individual aspirations.
The 21st work is a video piece jointly created by Kohei Nawa, a contemporary artist known for his sculptures using glass beads, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. It visualizes the world of the drawing work "Dot Synthesis" presented at Nawa's solo exhibition "Kohei Nawa - SYNTHESIS" held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in 2011.
Nawa was responsible for the visuals, and Sakamoto created the music based on the imagery, realizing this collaboration. The behavior of "cells" that repeatedly generate and disappear is expressed through "drops" of paint randomly arranged in a grid. The video scrolls quietly, overlaid with music of a solemn, majestic image. The work evokes a sense of the "primal" in life and existence.
The work is available for download by making a donation of any amount from 1,000 yen per unit up to 20,000 yen for 20 units, processed via PayPal. The entirety of the collected donations (excluding payment processing fees) is equally distributed to five representative organizations in the fields of "medical care," "children," "food," "housing," and "energy" as "support needed now" in the disaster-stricken areas, with donations made quarterly.
Recipients of Donations
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) Japan | Medical activities focused on mental care and procurement of pharmaceuticals in Ohtsuchi Town, Iwate Prefecture
Children's Music Revival Fund | Restoration and provision of musical instruments and support for music activities in educational institutions
Sunrise Genki Mura Project | Support for delivering rice to the elderly living in temporary housing
Voluntary Architects Network Shigeru Ban / East Japan Earthquake Tsunami Support Project | Support through the installation of simple partition systems for evacuation shelters
Institute for Energy Economics and Policy (IEEP) Connection & Warmth Project | Support for disaster-stricken areas through solar, solar thermal, and biomass energy
NAWA Kohei
Born in Osaka in 1975. A sculptor gaining attention in the contemporary art scene. Associate Professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design (Head of the Department of Integrated Sculpture). He develops diverse expressions centered on his unique concept of "PixCell = Pixel + Cell." In 2009, he established "SANDWICH," a platform for creation, in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto. In June 2011, he held the solo exhibition "Kohei Nawa - SYNTHESIS" at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. In the fall of 2012, he is scheduled to install a large-scale outdoor sculpture "Manifold" in Cheonan, South Korea, and simultaneously hold two solo exhibitions at ARARIO GALLERY in Korea.
