And like I said, here're our Japanese friends themselves: (L-R) translator Ken Takiguchi, performer Norico Sunayama and set designer Jiro Endo. Right on time (sorta) at MacRitchie Reservoir.
Pat: I wrote a poem yesterday on a piece of paper. I remember some lines: “Hold me in the palm of your hands” and “I’ve a secret to tell you”. That’s two lines I remember from my poem.
Norico: The feeling, walking along water surface, all the beautiful is that the feeling, not so extremely beautiful as she said. Water is not so clean.
Jiro: First of all, location for that site is centre of Singapore, right. So it seems to be an island. Very enclaved the space. Just the some kind of void of Singapore.
So this the void has a kind of need to face, confonting Singapore, all the Singapore. The golf course, housing, parking lot. And even in shrine you have to reason with the highway drives.
Jiro: You can hear highway drive sound … it’s very good acoustic but also very industrial sound, overlap. So and all the time from the parking lot, just change the ratio of the components, industry, nature, hidden and everything cannot disappear completely.
That very interesting point: it’s not like idigenous. If you go indigenous, you cannot hear civil engineering sound, whatever. Everthing very close.
Rizman: For me, there were like a lot of things. Like when I first started the journey, I was like excited, very excited. And then when I saw the river – because I’m afraid of water - and then I thought, we have to cross the river. I can’t go back home now, because I’m there.
Jiro: First of all it not clean and then back really bad. Brown oily water.
Norico: I don't want to touch the dirty water.
Rizman: And when I saw Yi-Sheng going through the river and I thought, okay, I’m crossing it. And then Ken went into the reservoir - what’s happening? He’s drowning! And then he said, “I lost my specs - I can’t see,” - I was like, help.
Jiro: She said it’s a little like in role playing game… sort of simulation somehow enjoy that such an accident coming and then atmosphere suddenly change it’s really it’s kind of game very serious but also enjoying and very nervous. Two side. So the feeling of two side is very… Which side reality?
Ka5: Like sometimes remember animal. But reality come back.
Rizman: And then once we reached the shrine, that’s it. And then there were more steps. Okay, that’s it. And then when I was there, there was an unknown presence watching me. I couldn’t wait to get out of the place. There are snakes. I’m a wimp when it comes to nature.
Pat: I'm a big fan of walking. I think when you sweat in nature together, you share something together.
Jiro: Very metropolitan function. But it’s not Central Park. Central park is bound, completely rectangular and very controlled.
And it’s also it reminds me of Meiji Shrine. Meiji Shrine is just backside of Harajuku Station. You go there not be far from main meeting, you can see Dokomo, can see highlights from Shinjuku area.
Jiro: But my case is very layered. Dreamy trucks. Very analysing tracks. Everything like music.
Norico: Composed.
Ka5: But for her she always going different tracks.
Jiro: Like score. Highway sound. It’s a structural sense. I’m more objective.
Ka5: When you reach the shrine itself, what is the feeling?
Norico: Omoi. Very heavy. Heavy pressure. And I pray there to god tree, please keep peace for world.
Ka5: The first time, this is big. So I go in, imagine it’s very grand, very big during that time. Then sudeenly I feel all these trees, it’s impossible to capture or to reproduce if you don’t’ go there. And then second idea I feel is very violent, because suddenly everytbody left and it’s ust left for nature to eat. And then suddenly they destroy the forest.
Ka5: But yesterday it’s almost like visiting an old friend again. The first time is very adventurous. I map. But this time I know clear directions and objectives very clear. I want to bring you back to see it. So it’s like visitng old friend in forest.
Rizman: And then when I was there, there was an unknown presence watching me. I couldn’t wait to get out of the place. There are snakes. I’m a wimp when it comes to nature. And when we cot out of nature, it was quite a relief.
Pat: After going home, I did feel... ahhh, I felt possessed. I didn’t feel posessed by God, but this sense of, maybe it’s nature, maybe it’s the age of ruins. I became possessed by this timelessness.
Rizman: When I got home I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking of all the creepy crawlies. I’m still in the jungle. I’m still in the shrine.
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