NAGI TEI
2025
Ice / Reflection / Temperature
Three plates of ice lean against one another to form a minimal architectural structure. NAGI TEI explores how stability can emerge from a simple relationship between elements. The plates stand without joints or connectors, supported only by their mutual angles and contact points. In the cold environment the structure remains intact, yet its surface slowly begins to melt. A thin film of water forms across the ice, reflecting surrounding light and producing delicate fluctuations.
These reflections shift subtly with the viewer’s position and the changing angle of light. Temperature, phase transition, and illumination continuously reshape the material’s surface condition. In this sense, the winter air itself becomes part of the structure. Rather than presenting a fixed object, NAGI TEI establishes a framework that receives environmental conditions, revealing a momentary equilibrium between freezing and melting.
Year
2025
Location
Trondheim, Norway
Material
Ice (tap water from Trondheim)
Size
H 130 × W 6900 × D 6655 mm
Ice block: H 58 × W 215 × D 326 mm
Exhibition
AiR Exhibition: OSOTO Lab.
Venue
Trondheim, Norway
PHENOMENA
Freezing and melting
Temperature fluctuation
Winter light
↓
APPARATUS
Three-plate ice structure
Three-point balance
Phase-changing material
↓
SPATIAL EXPERIENCE
Subtle optical instability
Fragile equilibrium
Awareness of material time
NAGI TEI proposes a minimal structure composed entirely of ice. Three plates lean against one another and stand autonomously through a simple three-point relationship. In the cold air the structure remains stable, yet its surface slowly melts, forming a thin layer of water that reflects light. These reflections shift subtly with angle and distance. Rather than presenting a fixed form, the work constructs a field where freezing and melting coexist, revealing a temporary balance shaped by light and temperature.
Year
2024
Location
Trondheim, Norway
Type
Residency-based Research Installation
Material
Ice (tap water from Trondheim)
Dimensions
H 130 × W 6900 × D 6655 mm
Ice block
H 58 × W 215 × D 326 mm
Exhibition
LKV International Residency Program
Artist
OSOTO Lab.
(Artist Duo: Takatoku Nishi, Yumeo Nakayama)
Foundation
Gyomu Super Japan Dream Foundation (Arts Sector)
Public Interest Incorporated Foundation Union of Formative Arts and Culture
Organisation
LKV International Residency Program
Cooperation
City of Trondheim
Lademoen Park
Shooting
OSOTO Lab.
Video Editing
OSOTO Lab.
