This was an installation art work which was exhibited in Yamate 111 Ban-Kan, one of old western-style houses authorized as a historical architectures by Yokohama city government, as a formal program of the 6th Yamate Art Festival. It was the second time for MoNo to attend this art festival following the last work “Molecular Cluster”.
“Yamate 111 Ban-Kan” was designed by an American architect J. H. Morgan who designed “Berrick Hall” where MoNo opened the former work so that it is also a Spanish style architecture with effective red-brown Spanish tile roofing and dark-green colored hardware. It was completed in this site 111 Yamate as a residence for Mr. Raffin, an English moneychanger, in 1926. After the use of individual residence for 70 years, Yokohama city government accepted it as donation and arranged the restoration work as to start to open it since 1999. This site is on a little slope with nice view of Yokohama city, so using this condition, the residence has 2 floors above ground in west façade side, and has 3 floors because of adding one underground level in east garden side. At the time of the completion, garage and servant room were on the basement, moreover, main entrance, hall, dining room, kitchen and rooms were on the ground level, and the next level had corridor around the void, a bedroom and a sleeping porch. Now the café shop is on the underground level connecting the Rose Garden of Harbor View Park (Minato-no-Mieru Oka Koen), this architectural façade gives a bijou impression to the four season’s landscape of park.
The space where MoNo created and opened this art work was the hall which has a void to the upper level, being expressed as the heart of this architecture. It is placed in the about center of this architecture, being surrounded with the other rooms, so that it doesn’t have windows except one of alcove to the entrance porch. But connecting the upper level by the void, the whole of the hall is kept light-filled by daylight from the windows on south and north walls of upstairs gallery which encompasses the void. The appearance changes with time and season. MoNo created this art work as an installation to emphasize the variations of light condition in this space. The clear materials which were floating in every direction of the hall space were described as sharply-outlined object daylight transformed to. Transmitting or reflecting daylight, the materials changed its own appearance, and also atmosphere of the hall space. During the only one week for the exhibition, the light circumstance of this historical residence which have been continuing for over 80 years experienced a different rhythm with MoNo’s art work.
What’s “Yokohama-Yamate art festival”?
This art festival is held in Yamate area of Naka-ku inYokohama city, counting the 6-time. In this exotic area with Yokohama’s unique tourism resources, for example the Harbor View Park (Minato-no-Mieru Oka Koen), the Foreign General Cemetery and some old western style residences, many events of various different kinds of art fields (music, play, dance, classical entertainment, literature) are presented as “Yokohama-Yamate art festival” by the cooperation between some art NPO and community groups. When the Yokohama port was opened, many highly educated people in near prefectures loved this area. Because it was the residence area for foreigners so that the western culture reached it faster than others in Japan, for example the first Shakespearean play was put in Yamate. Making use of the history and the tourism resource of Yamate, this local community is trying to revitalize the area and promote culture with the art festival.
Status: Built
Location: 111 yamate naka-ku Yokohama JAPAN
