motoi yamamoto shapes 'a path of memories' with intricate installation

a path of memories

following his solo exhibition ‘sakura shibefuru’ — a monumental installation of about 100,000 cherry blossom petals made of salt — japanese artist motoi yamamoto now exhibits ‘a path of memories’. known for his unique artistic material, salt, in previous works, the artist created intricate networks by carefully arranged salt lines. in his last project dubbed ‘a path of memories’, a former nursery school in suzu city, japan, was reborn as a magnificent installation; he painted the walls, ceiling, and flooring of the space, replicating his unique maze-like pattern. along with this space, the japanese artist exhibits a room taking shape as a salt garden made of seven tons of this white mineral.

the salt symbolizes parts of memories and fragments of time; ‘continuing to create precious memories so as not to forget them is a common thread across my work,’ as he shared with designboom. (see the full interview here). ‘I essentially keep creating works to resolve my own issues, but I hope that they provide viewers with an opportunity for contemplation while taking in the various settings and surroundings of the works.’all images courtesy motoi yamamoto

a work that connects past and future

after five months of work, the japanese artist (see more here) in collaboration with young and older participants, has completed the installation for the oku-noto triennale 2020+. the exhibition includes a stair-like installation made of huge amounts of salt and an area covered with paint. the crew built the salt installation placing salt bricks, leaving some parts uncovered as if some fragments collapsed over time.

motoi yamamoto clad first the entire space in light blue paint —a color pick of his daughter— and then he partly covered the space with white intricate patterns that mark his creative expression. some parts of the room have been left untouched, revealing the change between old and new.

transforming the former nursery school into an art piece

‘you could say that whatever my hand is sensing and whatever my heart is feeling in that moment guides my drawing.’ said to designboom in the interview.‘a work that connects past and future. I will produce this large-scale installation work in a space that used to be a nursery school, where I plan to draw a complex, maze-like pattern on the floor, walls, and ceiling to create a garden made from a large amount of salt.’

stair-like installation made of seven tons of salt