AKIYA AIR PROGRAMME Update
Two talented creators, Maan Limburg and Matilde Patuelli, are currently in Yunotsu as part of the AKIYA AIR Programme. Maan arrived at the beginning of October, followed by Matilde a month later.
As they settle into life in Yunotsu, both are sharing regular reports with us, offering insights into their experiences and creative processes. We look forward to following their progress and sharing their unique journeys with you.
Stay tuned for more updates!
From Matilde Patuelli
9th December 2024
*All the pictures in the update of Matilde are taken by Maan Limburg
A month in Shimane the time keeps shrinking and stretching with the most incredible choreographies, constantly framing stunning nature, inspiring encounters, delicious dishes and sparkling chats.
As soon as arrived, we had the opportunity to be marvelled by some of the craftspeople of the area working with diverse materials, such as wood, textile, paper, metal and clay, who sprinkled us with glimpses of their abilities and passions as well as social engagement within the context of Yunotsu and its creative scene.
Visiting the roof tile company Kamedani, I was captured by the charm of the manufacture, where artisans extrude and press and carve and sculpt bright yellow clay around big rooms, crowded with bulky machinery, while wavy tiles float around, carried by a clunky rail, which makes you bow and dodge, warning you with a rhythmic rusty sound.
The manufacturer keeps alive a family tradition of over 300 years old, firing tiles at 1350°C for over 22 hours using a mix of eight clays sourced locally. These tiles are called Sekishu kawara, rust tiles, due to the distinctive red, colouring of the roofs of Shimane prefecture. This colour is given by the glaze, composed of Kimachi stone and water alone, which fired at high-temperature shows a flirty metallic gloss, symbol of extreme resistance.
The Kamedani family very generously allowed me to squat their showroom and play with their tiles so that Fables of water and stone started to take shape.
(fun fact: there can be up to 32 different tile designs composing a traditional Japanese rooftop)
The process sees the combination of technical traditional knowledge with landscape mapping and first-hand impressions in the context of the Shimane prefecture. During the first weeks, the exploration of Yunotsu and its surroundings was led by spontaneous unpredictability, following that cute car taking a left turn, the directions I nodded at but already forgot and the road which looked the most intricate to walk through. The landscape started presenting itself with the recurring pattern of bodies of water, rolling through glimpses of willful nature, intertwined with human well-behaved but sometimes forgotten traces. After filling my folders with coordinates, sounds and images of ripples, splashes, dribbles and gurgles, a selection of them has been moulded and carved on the roof tiles, curled up by a fictional layer and becoming a threshold for discovery and wonder.
Each sculptural tile records a geographic location as well as a memory and a trace, echoing both the dense nature distinctive of Shimane as much as the numerous akiya, abandoned houses, frequent in the area, inside which shadows of life stay vivid to the ones that look inside. The project then unfolds by installing the tiles on three roofs of interest, where Fables of water and stones will become part of the treasure hunt-inspired game which is Geocaching, meant as playful activation and catalyser of collective experience for co-narration for the community and the visitors.
From Maan Limburg
8th November 2024
Crazy to think it's been a month already - Japanese time seems to slips like water through my fingers. Being here is a non stop process of experiencing new things: from getting used to driving on the left side of the road to being immersed in the world of artisans in Shimane to new ways of thinking. The area has a LOT of creators practicing mingei - a movement celebrating the art of the everyday objects made by artisans. And it's beautiful and inspiring to see people caring like this for these traditional crafts. Or maybe I should say I'm inspired in general by the people I've met here: So many have a dream that aspires to greater things than their own life - a welcome breath of fresh air in my Dutch way of thinking. And living with Shinya, Koharu, Yukika and Matilde is inspiring; from the way they approach the smaller and bigger things in life to talking about our different cultures (Japanese, Italian and Dutch).
One of the things that inspires me to no end in Japan is the nature here. I've heard up to 80% of Japan is nature; mountains and uninhabitable forests. I love it. It's one of the biggest differences with the Netherlands for me, where land is scarce and all nature is touched by humans. Here there is much more of a coexistence going on; there is no fence and you might meet any kind of plant or animal during your time here. It's apparently the season for praying mantis (Kamakiri), so a part of my day is spend by safely transporting those off of the roads they seem to favour. And Shimane is painfully beautiful, especially right now with all the autumn colours coming to play.
To me the village of Yunotsu is a place where the current era and history collide. In Kagura, the local form of theatre, the players recreate 10 old shinto tales. It's a constant retelling of their history through spectaculair music and dancing. You can see shows every weekend and so far it's been interesting to see the differences in how each kagura group tell these stories (this Kagura group was @Yuka's). Adding to the historic feel is that the area of Yunotsu and Iwami Ginzan is a Unesco world heritage site due to it's historical importance: Once upon a time a big chunk of the world's silver came from this area. The area reminds you of this by still having that historical beauty.
My "Mura no Kokoro" project is taking me to loads of places and for the next period I'll have to start organising and finishing all my work so far. I've interviewed locals about their favourite places, taken videos and pictures, gathered some historical places and some of my own favourites - so now I need to create a platform for it all and think about the final presentation. It's so easy here to be caught up by all that the area has to offer so if I'm being honest I'm hoping for some rainy days to edit in. For my project I'm looking for the local magic and it feels to me it's so abundant it will be hard to select the "most" magical things at the end.
