Chijikinkutsu, 2013-2015
geoLAB
Courtesy of the artist
Chijikinkutsu is a coinage especially created for the title of this work by combining two Japanese words. "Chijiki" means geomagnetism and a “suikinkutsu” is a sound installation for Japanese traditional gardens, invented in the Edo period.
Chijikinkutsu is made using water, sewing needles, glass tumblers and coils of copper wire. The needles floating on the water are magnetized in advance, so they are affected by geomagnetism and turn themselves in a north-south direction. When electricity is supplied to the coil attached it creates a temporary magnetic field that draws the needle to the coil. And the faint sound of the needle hitting the glass resonates in the space all around.
In this piece, the artist creates a minimalist expression, so that the acoustic sounds would stand out and viewers could concentrate on listening to them. A round surface of water in the glass with a floating magnetized needle, remind somewhat of a tiny earth with its geomagnetism. The fainter the sounds of the glass, the more keenly viewers’ sensibility will be sharpened. In the meantime, they realize that the sounds are not coming from outside their bodies, but already exist inside their mind.
