The installation Prism was exhibited at an art event held on the island SARUSHIMA, which was used by the military until World War II. When we first came to the island, we were deeply impressed by the remains of the island's past, including the remains of a turret. At night, there is almost no light on the island, and it is shrouded in darkness and reminiscent of the military islands of the past, with a heavy atmosphere. But when we stepped out onto the beach, we were relieved to see a night scene of twinkling lights on the other side of the shore, making us feel as if we had returned to the present day. These experiences were the inspiration for the installation. We tried to revive the memories of the past that remain on the island with beautiful lights full of color, like a night view. The prism had the property of dispersing into colorful light when hit by straight light such as a searchlight. I drew a map on the beach based on the outline of the island and the site of the turret, and laid out the prism. Visitors were invited to sit on the beach and manipulate the searchlight and transform the way in which the beams connected through the prisms. The light of a prism shines and disappears, illuminating people's hearts as if it were caressing the hearts of the people who see it. This installation created a powerful moment in which the memories engraved on Sarushima are brought to life by the beautiful lights. The installation was completed gradually over the course of the exhibition, which lasted about a month. Eventually it was designed to be buried in the sand and become part of the landscape. In fact, there is no electricity on the island, and we were given a small amount of electricity that the islanders produce. The islanders were very grateful for this installation that runs on very little electricity. Many people came to see the installation and were able to revitalize the area. The aim of this installation was not to beautify war nor Japan’s history, but rather to revive the memories left on the island and the remnants that remain there in an aesthetic, engaging experience. The negative memories of history were beautifully transformed through the power of art and design. It is our strong belief that design and art have an important role to play in keeping the memories of the past alive lest we forget the lessons we can learn from our history. We hope that the installation stands as an example of how we can create something beautiful and reminiscent out of the artefacts of our tainted and sometimes negative history.
Prism
Hakuten
Bronze
Bronze

1 / 10

Bill Bouchey
Principal - Director of Design Interiors
at HOK
Activation by way of light and inte...
9
7
8
7
7.75

Tola Ojuolape
Senior Project Designer
at Selina
8
5
8
4
6.25

Kate Shepherd
Cofounder & Strategic Director
at The Future Collective
A beautifully simple concept that i...
8
6
8
5
6.75

Daniel Wigham
Strategy & Sustainability Lead
at StudioXAG
A very beautiful idea, and really s...
8
6
8
4
6.5

Martin Mostböck
Founder and creative director at AID
at Martin Mostböck. AID - ArchitectureInteriorsDesign
8
7
8
6
7.25

Aezad Muzaffar Alam
Co-Founder and Design Director
at REFORM Studio
8
7
9
5
7.25

Tiffany Yao
Regional Workplace Manager
at Newmark
So touching and memorable. These co...
8
7
8
5
7

Penny Craswell
Writer
at The Design Writer
7
7
8
6
7

Christina Wissing Oppermann
Commercial Director
at Brandt Collective
8
6
7
6
6.75

Tola Ojuolape
Senior Project Designer
at Selina
7
5
8
5
6.25

Daniel Wigham
Strategy & Sustainability Lead
at StudioXAG
7
6
7
4
6

Martin Mostböck
Founder and creative director at AID
at Martin Mostböck. AID - ArchitectureInteriorsDesign
8
7
8
5
7

Aezad Muzaffar Alam
Co-Founder and Design Director
at REFORM Studio
8
5
8
5
6.5

Anika Hülser
Head of Interior Architecture
at HPP Architekten GmbH
8
4
8
4
6

Penny Craswell
Writer
at The Design Writer
6
6
7
6
6.25

Christina Wissing Oppermann
Commercial Director
at Brandt Collective
7
7
8
5
6.75
Designer
Client
Yokosuka City
Floor area
76 ㎡
Completion
2019
Design / Artist
Takumi Takahashi (HAKUTEN)
Photography
Nacasa & Partners Inc. | Kim Dong-gyu
Movie
Ponsuke Kojima