moor the sky
2021
Tide / Reflection / Horizon
Moor the Sky is a garden-like installation situated along the coast of Naoetsu in Niigata, Japan, operating through seawater and natural light. The work consists of a group of shallow vessels distributed broadly along the shoreline.At high tide, the vessels are filled with seawater; at low tide, shallow pools remain. These water surfaces reflect the sky and surrounding landscape, producing shifting reflections that respond to wind, clouds, and changes in light. The appearance of the work continuously transforms according to the viewer’s position, tidal level, sunlight, and weather conditions.
In this project, the site itself functions as a structure that receives natural phenomena. The main structural system was designed with typhoons in mind, allowing the seawater vessels to be easily detached from steel pipes embedded in the sand.The installation was realized through collaboration with local companies and residents, who participated in cleaning the beach and assembling the work. Through this collective process, the project emerged in close relation to the everyday environment of the coastline.
Year
2021
Location
Niigata, Japan
Material
Stainless steel, steel pipes, iron, seawater
Size
H 250 × W 160000 × D 45000 mm (W 160 m × D 45 m)
Unit H 60 × W 1200 × D 1200 mm
Exhibition
ART SEASIDE NAOETSU 2021
Venue
Naoetsu Coast, Niigata, Japan
PHENOMENA
Tidal rhythm
Sunset over the Sea of Japan
Shore patterns shaped by offshore breakwaters
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APPARATUS
A seawater retention system
Grid configuration using scaffolding pipes
Stainless-steel elements with a four-directional tilting form
↓
SPATIAL EXPERIENCE
Fragmented reflections of the sky
Landscapes tracing temporal patterns
A sense of connection between body and place
Moor the Sky begins by directing attention to the fact that the landscape is in constant transformation through the movement of tides, changing light at sunset, and shifting weather conditions.Rather than presenting an object to be viewed, the work proposes an experience in which the changing scene itself becomes the subject of perception. The water surface acts as a medium between sky and ground, reflecting transformation and rendering the passage of time visible.Instead of pursuing a completed form, the project seeks to sustain a condition of ongoing change. The site is treated not as something to be controlled, but as a framework that remains open to natural motion.Through water and light, Moor the Sky offers a landscape in which the rhythms of nature and human presence overlap.
Year
2021
Location
Naoetsu Coast, Niigata, Japan
Type
Commissioned Public Installation
Material
Stainless steel, steel pipes, iron, seawater
Dimensions
H 250 × W 160000 × D 45000 mm (W 160 m × D 45 m)
Unit
H 60 × W 1200 × D 1200 mm
Exhibition
ART SEASIDE NAOETSU 2021
LICC - London International Creative Competition 2023 (GBR)
Shortlisted in Create (art), , Categories CREATE (Art).
Concept, Design, Direction
Takatoku Nishi
Production
Space Production Lab. (Task Force-style Group)
Organisation
Art Seaside Naoetsu Organizing Committee
Curation
Junko Suzuki
Cooperation
Hirofumi Kumabe (MITSUMI Co., Ltd.)
Morikazu Oomura (HAND FACTORY)
Wise Metal Co., Ltd.
Shooting
Takatoku Nishi
Yumeo Nakayama
Taro Suzuki
Video Editing
Takatoku Nishi
Yumeo Nakayama
