枯木又分校は、1884年創立、1989年休校、1991年再校、2007年閉校という長い歴史を持つ。自然に囲まれている木造二階建ての校舎の中を歩き、壁の傷、木の匂い、床を踏む音などに気づくうちに、自分の小学生の頃の思い出が浮かんできた。朝の朗読、夕方の光、授業を終えた時ベルの音などは私にとっては小学生時代の強い思い出だ。2018年の大地の芸術祭の際に、88歳の枯木又分校卒業生が展示を見に来こられ、昔の思い出に浸かっていたと聞いた。人それぞれ生活経験や環境が異なり、小学生の頃の物語も違う。小学校という共通の場所で、時間や光、声や音、そして観客やインスタレーション自体を取り囲む空間が織りなす新たな世界がある。この分校の教室に作った仮想空間において、それぞれの「半忘却、半記憶」の記憶を蘇らせてほしい。

     

                                                                                                                                                               リュウ・リケツ (劉李杰)

 

 

Karekimata Branch School has a long history: founded in 1884, it closed in 1989 and reopened in 1991, only to close again in 2007. As I walked through the two-story wooden school building in its verdant natural setting, I noticed scratches on the walls, the scent of the wood, and the echo of my footsteps on the floor. It brought back vivid memories of my elementary school days: morning silent reading time, the light at sunset, and the sound of the school bell at the end of class. I heard that during the 2018 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial, an 88-year-old graduate of the Karekimata Branch School came to see the exhibition and found himself immersed in memories of the past. Although we all have different life experiences, in different environments and recall different stories from our elementary school days, this installation gives us access to the world of our shared elementary school experience. It is a world woven from time, light, voices, other sounds, and the space surrounding the visitor and the installation, itself. In the virtual space created by this branch school classroom, I hope each visitor will retrieve some "half-forgotten, half-remembered" memories.

                                                                                                                                                                                            Liu Lijie