installation at Seto Venue
Seto City, a hub of the ceramics industry, was once home to numerous public bathhouses for workers at the kilm. The former Nihon Kosen—the venue where Rui Sasaki’s work was installed—was one of them. Passersby would stop and look on with a sense of nostalgia as the installation work took place; having closed its doors only in 2021, the bathhouse remains a fresh memory for the local community.
Sasaki repeatedly visited the local area to gather plants with the residents. He then took "dead stock"—materials left over at a local glass workshop—back to Kanazawa, his base of operations, where he created hundreds of glass pieces encapsulating the plants. His plan for the 2025 art festival in Aichi was to transform these works into an installation where they would float in mid-air like spirits amidst the darkness.
ArtTank accompanied the artists to the site on numerous occasions. Working closely with them, the team explored ways to realize their exhibition concepts, devised methods to create a sense of weightless suspension within the darkness, conducted repeated experiments, drafted plans, and organized the on-site production process. Furthermore, by overseeing the actual installation from start to finish, they ensured the completion of a flawless, beautiful artwork.
As the other works at the Seto venue were also outstanding, Rui Sasaki’s exhibition drew significant popularity; due to the venue's limited size, visitors often had to wait their turn, resulting in long lines stretching outside the bathhouse. I heard that some people who made the trip to Seto were unfortunately unable to enter the venue because of the wait. I hope that someday we can collaborate with the artist again to stage an exhibition of this caliber, giving even more people the opportunity to see the work.
展示情報
展示期間： 2025年9月13日 - 11月30日
場所：愛知県瀬戸市、旧日本鉱泉