Kisa Kawakami was appointed as advisory artist-architect in the early stages of developing the Mitsubishi Estate Company's new headquarters. Kawakami collaborated closely with the architects at Mitsubishi Sekkei to create Interactive Wave, a wooden ‘wave’ sculpture, and Windows, a metallic wall relief, both of which change subtly according to the quality of natural light.
Speaking about Windows, Kawakami has said: 'The wall receiving direct sunlight inside the 30-metre glass cube of the atrium was the installation site, and to me, a huge canvas. I explored the possibilities of an artwork…that would change scene by means of the combination of (a) revolving mirror-surfaced lids or wings that were fixed to open boxes on hinges and (b) changeable coloured magnetic sheets.’
He also describes the work as: ‘a form that is simple enough to be recognised in the distance from Tokyo Station, and yet possesses the right scale and detail for the closer viewpoints of people walking through the entrance hall. The illumination is programmed...and changes the appearance of the relief every minute’.
This work is part of the Marunouchi Art Project, curated and managed by Modus Operandi.
