SYU IRO 「朱色 しゅいろ」 SYU IRO



At my residency place, Minamioguni-machi I have created my first free-standing outside installation or pavilion 'SYU IRO' 「朱色 しゅいろ」 [in Japanese it means 'Kind of Red Colour' traditionally used in Torii gates and objectively being perceived as bright orange].

Location: Tanoharu 6953, Minamioguni-machi, Aso-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan
Definition: Site-specific permanent outside installation, Pavilion
Dimension:  5.000 x 1.100 –5.000 x 1.500 – 20.000 [mm]
Material: Oguni-cedar
Material Supplier: Hideki Kawazu [main material supplier]
                             Mitsuhito Kodama [cedar chips]
Art Residency: International Artist-in-Residence Programme in Aso
                         www.asoart.com

SYU IRO film: http://youtu.be/pXYH8smdvZQ


SYU IRO article: http://conversations.aaschool.ac.uk/uliana-apatina/
Aso Uchinomaki interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNb7pi51x_0



SYU IRO in SNOW
photo credit: Shinobu Yamauchi








SYU IRO in SUNLIGHT
photo: artist
















I arrived to Japan without any certain plan apart from a firm intention to build a space from Oguni-cedar [-sugi, in Japanese] using Japanese joint techniques. Neither I had worked with wood as a material before nor were fully aware of the way to cut Japanese joints.
 



As a matter of fact, this Japanese-joints structure, honestly built in a traditional Japanese way, is inherently anti-Japanese in one tiny ratio: by its mere implementation of diagonals – contradicting to Japanese tradition of straight angles and the overall logic of Japanese-joints. Absurd contradiction. I like.




































SYU IRO - OVERALL VIEW
photo credit: Kohji Asakawa : Deltaworks















SYU IRO at NIGHT
photo: artist





















 







 

 









SYU IRO - INHABITED
photo: artist

Metaphysically and philosophically, 'Syu Iro' does not have any static points – all perspective shifts, both vertically and horizontally, are dynamic and unpredictable. Height of the segments varies in correlation to Aso Mountain containing a breathable volcano. Perhaps, from this idea for breathing and distinct odour – cedar-chips arrived to the installation. They form a deep movable and soundable layer over the 'floor' area of 'Syu Iro', emphasising an importance of being immersed into some substance or state of mind. The same way your body does it with onsen waters. Although, in onsen it happens vertically, from the top to the bottom, while in 'Syu Iro' – horizontally by traveling through a long corridor of a life-long journey.



























 
Oguni-sugi is extremely bright, versatile, flexible and responsive material with unique calming smell. Being embraced by a thin layer of orange paint as a caring container it allows sun to penetrate all the way through the surface and bounce back into the open space creating a chiaroscuro effect. 
This natural unexpected miracle transforms 'Syu Iro', giving it an extra dimension of light-shadow interplay. Uniqueness of your experience is mainly determined by weather conditions and time of the day. I expect it to change dramatically in winter. In a sheer glowing brilliance of white snow.









































SYU IRO - CONSTRUCTION PROCESS
photo: artist

As all my other installations, 'Syu Iro' is totally not master-planned. Organically emerging from the surroundings, it is a being born during a process of me inhabiting a site, which I otherwise call a construction process. No models. No plans. No anything preconceived or predetermined. But everything happening on site matters and leaves traces on a final outcome.












 

SYU IRO - HALLOWEEN NIGHT CONSTRUCTION
photo: artist 














 






















SYU IRO - DAYTIME CONSTRUCTION
photo: artist 





 
















































































 


















































































SYU IRO - UNDER RAIN CONSTRUCTION
photo: artist



























SYU IRO - LATE NIGHT AFTER RAIN CONSTRUCTION
photo: artist