Hiraki Sawa

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Hiraki Sawa is a Japanese born, London based artist, who is known for his film and sound installations. Within Sawa’s multichannel installation, O (2009), displayed recently at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA), he expresses the journey through time, memory and migration. Through metaphysically intriguing, digitally manipulated images, and a range of photomontages, Sawa’s work moves between the world of reality and that of pure imagination. By escaping the structures of temporality, his work suggests the cycle of time and movement, as shown in his exploration of an abandoned house and spinning objects in O.

Through the spinning objects, Hiraki Sawa explores a journey of time and motion using sound and film. He utilises ten small video monitors, presented in a black and white format, to capture common objects, including a bell, plate and light bulb, that have been displayed perpetually spinning, accompanied by a unique soundtrack by Dale Berning.

The continuous loop of each object is significant to the theme of motion and becomes a symbol of the endless cycle of time. Sawa once stated that ‘Coming full circle is movement without displacement. In that time, you simply are, and all change is in the looking’. This statement suggests that the meditative acts of repetition help the viewer to recognise the various dimensions of time by suspending it indefinitely. Beyond the looped spinning actions, Sawa deliberately employs black and white tones in each film to create a sense of ambiguity about time and motion. He titled the installation O, to emphasise the metaphorical connection between circles and loops and the infinite cycle of time in all things.

Another part of O explores memories, time and migration. Projected... The rest of this article is available to subscribers of Eyeline

Hiraki Sawa, O, 2009. Still. Multi-channel video installation: 3-channel video projection exhibited from hard drive, HD video, 16:9, colour and black and white, 5-channel sound, 8:00 minutes; 10 channel video installation exhibited on customised LCD monitors, HD video transferred to DVD, 16:9, black and white, silent, 00:60 seconds; 5-channel sound by Organ Octet (edited by Dale Berning) exhibited on customised spinning speakers; customised metal light frames and light-bulb fixtures, installed dimensions variable. Purchased 2010. Queensland Art Gallery Foundation. Collection Queensland Art Gallery. Courtesy the artist and James Cohan Gallery, New York/Shanghai.