Requesting people in Taiwan who I met by chance to declare if they die, Taiwan will disappear, 2014

「Research and Production: Artistic Methods in a Transitional Period」、淡水歴史博物館、新台北、台湾、2014での展示風景
協力：Hotspring Project
撮影：丹羽良徳
Installation view "Research and Production: Artistic Methods in a Transitional Period" at Tamsui Historical Museum, New Taipei, Taiwan
Supported by Hotspring Project
Photo by Yoshinori Niwa

ビデオスティル、2014
協力：Hotspring Project
撮影：丹羽良徳
Video still, 2014
Supported by Hotspring Project
Photo by Yoshinori Niwa

台湾の路上で偶然出会った人に、死んだら台湾が消滅すると宣言してもらう
2014, シングルチャンネルビデオ（14分09秒）
台北の路上で偶然出会った100人を越す人々に、死んだら台湾が消滅します、とカメラの前で宣言してもらうように依頼する。どこか国家的危機における重要な政治家の演説のような響きをもった台詞を、一般市民の声に置き換えることで生まれる違和感から自分が属する国家と個人の関係について再考を促す。また、その台詞自体も哲学的な問いでもあるが、多くの人々が自分自身を台湾を構成する１人としか考えていないために、彼らが死んだ後も台湾は存在し続けると自然に考えている。全く同じ台詞を時系列に一直線に並べることで、彼らの考えや意思とじは無関係に何が国家という存在を作り上げているのかという問いを逆照射する。

Requesting people in Taiwan who I met by chance to declare if they die, Taiwan will disappear
2014, Single channel video (14'09 min)
Niwa requests to more than 100 people he coincidently meets on the streets of Taipei to declare in front of the camera that “Taiwan will disappear if I die”. Having an ordinary citizen to say this phrase, which sounds somewhat like a speech made by a significant politician in times of national crisis, creates a strange feeling and prompts us to rethink the relationship between yourself and your country. Furthermore, this phrase itself is a philosophical question because many think of themselves as a component of Taiwan and naturally feel that the country will continue to exist even after their death. The video lines up these same phrases in chronological order to reversely expose the question of “What creates the presence of a country?” with no relation to people’s thoughts and will.

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