AFTEREAL

It is the magical effect of sparklers, and drawing with light in the air, that reminds us of the ‘After-real’. The image of a glowing spark is captured in the brain for a fraction of a second and immediately replaced by a new image. Image upon image, and a shining drawing is created that is not actually there.

For his project in Graz’s Burggarten, Yasuhiro Chida used hundreds of elastic moving wires that shine under UV light. Their wave-like movements create a luminous image that remains in the viewer’s memory just like the image of a sparkler. In keeping with the Japanese artist’s style, ‘After-real’ is a work that, despite the simplicity of its means, creates a deeply moving experience. Its message is: what we perceive as reality is a construct of our eyes and our brain. Despite this illusion, our eyes are the most important medium for visually exploring the world; no smartphones, no cameras, and no VR glasses could replace them.

location: Burggarten

This installation is made possible with the kind support of Industriellenvereinigung Steiermark.

Biography:
Yasuhiro Chida is a light artist from Japan. He studied architecture at Musashino Art University in Tokyo. Influenced by his personal experiences in mountaineering, ice climbing, and caving, he explores this special awareness of space in nature, as well as the impressive bodily-sense impressions in his immersive installations. The artist often uses very simple means to create impressive experiences in public spaces. In 2019, Yasuhiro Chida was awarded the audience prize at the International Light Art Award 2019 in Unna. He is also creating his own art museum, the Museum of Spatial Art in Tatsuno, Nagano, Japan.