About the artwork

Rice Talk is a permanent installation in Matsunoyama Town. It is sited in an “abandoned” traditional Japanese house. Rice Talk incorporates obsolete and contemporary forms of communication technology. Eight fibre optic tatami mats transmit a Morse code message. This message is a haiku by Kobayashi Issa, written in 1794, an English translation is… Swapping Kiminos-she watches from her house him fade into mist. The use of language Japanese voice speaks out the words of the haiku. The windows in the bedroom carries perforations of dot-dash text. This translation allows daylight to appear gently within the bedroom. And finally, the electrified tatami mats are still with haelogen light and simultaneously energised by a subtle pursing of the Morse code. This space of reverie… is a space that once was―and now is again.

Kinu-ginu ya
kasumu made miru
imo ga ie