2014 / digital / color / 5min.
　　
In Risshaku Temple in Yamagata, made famous in Matsuo Bashō’s NARROW ROAD TO THE HINTERLAND, there is a “sacred flame” that has been burning since the temple was founded. When I saw this flame as a small child, I wondered what exactly it was that was continuing over time. Betelgeuse, which is part of both the great winter triangle and Orion constellations, shines brightly in the night sky in winter, but this star is thought to have a high chance of going super-nova and to thus be one we may soon become unable to see. It is 642 light years away, however, so if it burned itself out today we would not be able to confirm this for at least another 642 years. During this time the star’s last light would be travelling through space on its journey to our eyes. In this work, both “fire that burns for a long time” and “light arriving from a star that has already gone out” are depicted as the activities of our lives. （N.D.）
　

NAGAOKA Daisuke

Born in Yamagata Prefecture in 1973, currently resides in Tokyo. Since completing a Master’s at Wimbledon School of Art, has shown works in many solo and group exhibitions both in Japan and overseas. While continuing to look closely at the connectedness of memory and the body, creates experimental drawings that capture the instant of creation and sped up pencil-line animation.
　

Schedule

TOKYO Park tower：4/30 13:45 Program H、5/3 18:45 Program H
KYOTO：5/18 14:40 Program H
FUKUOKA：6/3 14:00 Program H
NAGOYA：6/25 11:30 Program H