Ghost Food
Date: 2024.8
Dimensions: Variable/W10000×D5000×H500(mm)
Materials: Mud and plants (all materials collected around Mt. Rokko)
Technique: Ring stacking Production: Nagi Kambara , Yoshifumi Tara, Yudai Murata
Photo: Kazuo Yoshida
Our bodies are made of what we eat.
Ghost Food is a work made of nata de coco that borders food and the human body.
In fact, Nata de Coco is composed of 99% water and 1% cellulose nanofiber (CNF), and is currently being developed as a transparent paper.
CNF is a material that is being developed as a transparent paper alternative to plastic containers, and is made by technology that loosens plant fibers to the nano level. On the other hand, nata de coco is a fermented food, and microbes decompose coconut fibers to create nano-level fibers, which we eat with a unique texture.
The feeling that daily food becomes our body by accumulating food husks. Where is the boundary between food and me by reliving the sensation of cells peeling off before I can see it?
It is a work that connects the person who stands at the top of the ecosystem and the microbial circulation that supports the bottom of the ecosystem.
The feeling that daily food becomes our body. By reliving the sensation of cells peeling off before we can see them, we question where the boundaries between food and ourselves are.
It was a turbulent time, just like today, in which people faced many hardships, such as the "Jomon Sea Level Rise," which caused the sea level to rise by 5m and the average temperature to rise by 2 degrees. We created six mud boats under the theme of "Neo-Jomon," which reconstructs the energy and creativity of the Jomon people who overcame such times in the modern era.
The reason I chose a boat is because Mt. Rokko was the sea until 100 years ago, and it was a mountain created by the Rokko tectonic movement. I also drew traces of the Jomon people who may have lived here in the past.
There are few Jomon pottery excavated from the Kansai region, including Kobe, and it is said that the reason for this is that the people lived by repeatedly traveling and moving due to the harsh natural environment. Just as their lifestyle and lives have returned to nature, this work also expresses the cycle of nature by leaving the boat, which is a motif of movement and travel, unfired and allowing it to gradually weather.
During the production process , everyone was responsible for every step of the production process, making use of their respective strengths and working together in a way that is cherished in Jomon values.
While working as a designer for a large company, this is the first piece of art that Nagi Kambara (center) proposed the concept of "Neo-Jomon" and was primarily responsible for the planning and design of the piece.
I formed the Mud Boat production team with Yudai Murata (pictured right), who works with me as an assistant at Yokohama Art University and continues to create works using clay.
Murata was in charge of everything from selecting the soil to the production techniques and handling of the mud to ensure the exhibits were strong enough to withstand three months of outdoor display, while Kambara, as a designer, was in charge of historical and humanities research and the decoration of the collection boat.
Since my theme is tools and materials, I used a boat as a motif and based my project on the geological context of Rokko. I also explored the possibilities of materials, such as creating tools to be used for decoration and using pine resin to increase the durability of the work.