Koyama Taisuke

Universal Flowing

The artwork consists of an installation piece composed of six video projections (42’25” each, 4K Digital Video) and three photographic prints (1500*1000mm). The background of the video is generated by AI depicting the “natural landscapes” conceptually held in people’s memories, particularly the “dusk” landscape that people envision when meditating or deeply relaxing. Koyama believes that the essence of the images generated by AI lies not in extravagant, chimera-like images but in mundane, mass-produced images devoid of unnaturalness. Against the backdrop of the “memories of nature” brought about by the collective knowledge of humanity as such, there are continuously changing water droplets that can only be recognized in their subtle state when focused upon in a highly refined awakened state.

Between the slideshow of the “non-existent dusk” and the camera, there is a transparent plate. Water droplets on its surface increase over time, merging with adjacent droplets, changing over approximately 40 minutes, eventually forming large droplets that flow upwards. The camera’s focus is on the surface of the water droplets, where the landscape of dusk is visible as a real image. The video is inverted, causing the water droplets that reflect the landscape to rise quickly at a certain moment. The six videos are not synthesized but individually shot in one take. Viewers observe the phenomenon that randomly moves throughout the exhibition space, experiencing the memory of our cycle of awakening and meditation.

This work was commissioned by a Japanese unit bath manufacturer NIPPORI KAKO. The exhibition space was designed specifically to exhibit this work.