Cornelia Konrads
2005 Kamiyama Artist in Residence Participant
In Kamiyama from September 16 to November 16, 2005
Born in Wuppertal, Germany. She studied philosophy and cultural science, worked as a teacher, gardener, stage designer. In the last ten years she also did art projects with people in a hospital, prisoners, and refugees. Since 1998 she focused on site-specific work. A signature of her installations is their ambivalence, the contrastive play with gravity and overcoming it, with reality and simulation, and the encounter between nature and culture. At KAIR, she completed two works of art, both of which are displayed on Oawa mountain.（→ Cornelia Konrads website)
Whitened bamboo branches, with their original colour of green still visible underneath, fuse into the surrounding nature to form a symbolic shrine. Playing with light and swayed by the wind, this spatial artwork invites viewers to another world, encompassing them entirely. As the title goes, viewers can have a real taste of 'Ascension'. 'Floating Rings', which stands on the mountain path with a view, is an amusing work, the different visions of which people enjoy while walking by. Through what can be called interactive art, Konrads gives a new life to the forest maintained by the local residents.
Dear Mutsumi,
I'm back since a week now.
Now I'm sitting beside the warm oven with my happy cat on my knees.
Outside the first snow is falling, the garden has a white blanket already.
It's nice to be back home, but I also miss Japan, I miss Kamiyama and I miss you!
I will never forget my wonderful jupalai, and sudadji, sisters!
What an exciting, great time we had together!
I'm sure, I will come back to Japan as soon as possible and looking forward to meet you then!
Cornelia