Gravestone, 2021
In collaboration with Theodor Maier
Obaachan no kami, Studio GROSS, Tokyo, Japan
Inkjet print on 150 g/m² paper, 75 g/m² tracing paper
42 x 21.6 x 0.1 cm (folded) / 42 x 21.6 x 21.6 cm (unfolded)
Edition of 50
“Gravestone” is an artists’ book revolving around cemeteries, minimalist sculptures and emptiness. A white paper cut-out of a typical Japanese tombstone is intended to be folded into a three-dimensional object from an initial flat state. The book refers to gravestones in the stores alongside the borders of Tokyo’s cemeteries. Those unassigned and blank cenotaphs, with simple and clear geometric outlines, resemble minimalist sculptures.
An index is printed on the last page of the book and is a montage of notes from conversations and readings. Devoid of page numbering, the index refers back to the bareness of the sculpture’s exterior. Visible only when the surface is flattened, once put together, the emptiness prevails. “Gravestone” is light and transportable, an anti-monument that underlines constant transition. In the collaborative project “Gravestone / 墓石”, the two artists explore the dynamics between book and sculpture and the effect of the void.