伝言の家 / House of Messages
Exhibition view
Still of video
About the work -「常滑フィールド・トリップ2010」下村邸（愛知県常滑市栄町）/ “Tokoname Field Trip 2010” Shimomura Residence, Tokoname City, Aichi Prefecture (10.2010)
下村さんが育った築140 年のこの家は、昔は親戚一同や近所の人が集まることが多かったという。現在は誰も住んでいないが、下村さんは毎日欠かさず愛犬を連れて家の手入れをしている。そのため、今でも生き生きとした佇まいの家であり、夕方には犬の散歩をする近所の人々が立ち寄る憩いの場になっている。
昔から人の絶えないこの場所で、下村さんの話を聞き、寝食をさせてもらうなどの記憶の追体験をしながら、下村さんが受け継いできた「かつて居た人々の記憶」と会話できるような空間を作りたいと思い制作した。
展示では、かつて一族が使っていた食器を宴会をする時の形で配置し、来場者はそこに座り、下村さんの語った、家族について、競艇や常滑についてのエピソードの小さな紙がが読めるようになっている。
また、現在の家の様子を記録したビデオも展示した。
This work was created and exhibited in a house owned by Mr. Susumu Shimomura (79 years old at the time), who was born and raised in Tokoname city and had a successful career as a professional boat racer.
The 140-year-old house where Mr. Shimomura grew up was once a gathering place for relatives and neighbors. Although no one lives there now, Mr. Shimomura visits every day, bringing his beloved dog and maintaining the house. As a result, the house still retains a lively atmosphere, and in the evenings, it serves as a place of relaxation where neighbors walking their dogs often stop by.
In this place, which has always been filled with people, I wanted to create a space where one could converse with the "memories of those who once lived here" that Mr. Shimomura has inherited. Through listening to Mr. Shimomura’s stories and reliving his memories, such as sharing meals and staying overnight, I aimed to recapture the essence of these past lives.
For the exhibition, I arranged the dishes once used by the family as if preparing for a banquet. Visitors could sit there and read small notes containing stories Mr. Shimomura shared about his family, boat racing, and Tokoname.
Additionally, a video documenting the current state of the house was also displayed.