About the artwork

The motif of this installation is the coming and going of the “Rice Field Deity.” It is said that the “Rice Field Deity” comes down from the mountains to the village in the spring to oversee the farming and help nurture the rice crops to bring about a good harvest, then returning to the mountains in autumn. These days, machines work the field and the village population is on the decline, and the artist has conducted fieldwork in Tsumari as if in search of a tradition disappearing from people’s minds. The artist did interviews and research in different communities and shrines. This piece shows the relationship between people and nature itself, mediated by festivals and traditional celebrations. [Music by Nakahiro Yamashita]