Hidemi Nishida Drapes Fragile Chairs On A Japanese Lake

In an extension of the artist’s ongoing ‘Fragile’ series, Hidemi Nishida has now unveiled his latest large-scale art project. Situated on the picturesque Lake Poroto on the island of Hokkaido, North Japan, ‘Fragile Chairs’ combines everyday man-made objects with the natural environment. These wooden chairs placed right on the lake are following his previous projects ‘Fragile Shelter’ and ‘Fragile Table,’ works installed variously at serene locations around the world. The area of Hokkaido serves partly as a museum for tourists, which is occupied by the indigenous people ‘Ainu’. For the inhabitants, the lake is still a sanctuary despite the turbulent time changes that Hokkaido goes through. Nishida‘s installation composes what appears to be an ordinary view, using visual elements to draw connections that help us internalise the distance between one’s present existence. The installation indicates that our ordinary exists in the contrast with the long-distance view, and to face the unseen world or landscape into today’s hasty time flow.