LENTO
White Roof Kominka & Black Kominka | Chiba, Japan | Site-specific installation | 2024
For the inaugural edition of LENTO, a multidisciplinary event curated by architect Lucia Filippini in collaboration with Japanese ceramist Kazunori Hamana, I was invited as guest artist to create two site-specific installations inside traditional Japanese kominka (folk houses) in Chiba (JP).
Hamana san, who has lived and worked in his studio in the region for over three decades, recently began transforming several akiya (abandoned houses) he acquired into future artist residencies. His approach centers on reusing materials from the buildings themselves, embracing the character and beauty of aged elements.
For the project, I created two installations inside the White Roof Kominka and the Black Kominka.
In the White Roof Kominka, I stretched a ten-meter sheet of paper across the main beam of the house, creating a suspended flow through the space. The work was painted entirely on site, following the rhythm of daylight as the building had no electricity. As dusk approached and visibility faded, the pace of the painting accelerated, aligning the process with the natural rhythm of the environment. The imagery reflects the spirit of the project: one character breaking objects while another recomposes fragments into something new — a metaphor for transformation and regeneration.
In the Black Kominka, I created a suspended work using washi paper and ink. Installed in a room with a large rear window, the piece interacts with natural light, gradually appearing and dissolving throughout the day. The work explores a process of release and renewal, echoing the broader philosophy behind the revitalization of these abandoned houses.
The installations were created using materials found within the buildings themselves, reinforcing the project’s ethos of reuse and transformation.
The event was documented as part of a film project presented at the Architecture Venice Biennale 2025.
