About the artwork

The artist exhibited works under the theme of the Shinano River during the previous two Triennials. This time, he focused on segae, a way of cutting meandering streams to make rice fields in the Murono district located up the Shibumi River, a branch of the Shinano. The device for increasing the yield of rice by even a single grain has created a beautiful landform that reminds us of an ancient Roman amphitheater. The artist turned it into an open-air theater by installing yellow poles on the ancient route of the river and stage surrounded with cloth. At this theater, with its special sound environment, the World Drum Festival was held and the audience enjoyed the sounds of drums from all over the world from two corridors-one raised footpaths between rice fields, and the other the paths surrounding the area where segae was made.