Selected as one of 20 winners in the International Shitsurai Art Competition, "Sparkling Soul" by Gathering was built in the fall of 2011 at the Po-ai Shiosai Park in the Port of Kobe as part of the Kobe Biennale.
The theme of the Kobe Beinnale 2011 is “Kira,” which translates to sparkle or radiance; however, Kira is not limited to the tangible – it expands to the essence of shine. Like a school of fish captures flashes of sunlight through the sea water, this sculpture captures the Kira of Kobe, welcoming its patrons to the port and to the city. By filtering natural light and reflecting captured image through the swirl of reflective sticks, the installation draws out the sparkle of one’s soul and invites a participatory experience with the surrounding site.
The non-linear system used to create the design mimics the highly mathematical phenomena of nature. The movement of the sticks creates a random porosity through which light is reflected and refracted, creating a dynamic space and capturing the most brilliant essence there is – the soul of the site and its people. As people pass by the many pieces of mirrored surface, their image is reflected back to them in a new, fragmented way. The viewer now has a direct interaction with the structure. The installation is also interactive with the environment of the port of Kobe - capturing the essence of the sun and the ocean, the people and the place. as the hues of the day change from pink and blue at dawn to red and orange at dusk, so does the hue of the structure. As the moon comes out to play, it will dance across the school of sticks just as it sparkles across the surface of the surrounding ocean.
