‘Water State 1’ by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Shiro Takatani
This installation is based on the changing state of water and was created by composer Ryuichi Sakamoto and artist Shiro Takatani.
The mirror-like surface of a pool of jet-black water is covered with ripples created by vibration or by water droplets. The droplets are accompanied by a precise and detailed sound and their position and quantity is based on one year’s worth of rainfall data from Asia, including Tokyo. The highlight of the 40-minute session is the unique patterns on the water’s surface, created through vibration of the square basin.
The water used for ‘Water State 1’ is drawn from the Sumida River and filtered and cleaned before use. The installation resembles a traditional Japanese garden, with a few rocks placed around the square-shaped work. Some of the rocks date back 300 million years, and were brought from Saitama’s Chichibu region, the source of the Arakawa River, which the Sumida River branches off from.
3-22-10 Higashi-Mukojima, Sumida (Hikifune Station). Aug 22-Sep 5, 12noon-8pm, Sat & Sun 10am-8pm. Free advance reservation required via the official website.
