Not understanding through thought alone, I decided to try out any idea that came to mind.
For example, cheese that doesn't spoil. I had the idea to develop a new medium, researching non-spoiling cheese to use it like paint. Mixing additives into the cheese and observing it daily, I lost sight of what I was aiming for. The smell of cheese nearly drove me mad. Five years had passed while I continued, determined to complete it.
After five years of research, just seeing the packaging of cheese I once loved made me feel sick, and it took about half a year to recover. Now, I can eat cheese again. Incidentally, the non-spoiling cheese I developed passed laboratory tests and truly doesn't spoil. I tried using it in a painting, but it didn't have much impact on my perception of time, so for now, there's no opportunity to use it. I would be happy if someday it could be used for something.
Obsessed with Fondue, I forgot to update social media and tried various methods: acrylic and oil painting, plastering, pottery, observing the movement of microbes under a microscope, collaborating with AI I programmed to draw, creating in CG and virtual spaces, wandering in the forest to collect materials, seeking inspiration in downpours and catching a cold...etc.
There were times when viewers responded positively, but it didn't quite affect their sense of time.
During the installation, being in a space where nature was present made me feel relaxed, and strangely, looking at something that resembled an abstract painting where nature and artificial objects contested each other calmed my mind.
However, trying to express this nature with human hands inevitably made it feel artificial, and I struggled with how to make it feel natural.
As I continued this seemingly goalless search, I began to wonder if it was okay to keep going in this direction.
Then, during a visit back to Shimane Prefecture, I encountered the material that felt just right.
