youki hirakawa
Torso
Torso / 2023
Double Channel Video Installation / 4K / Approx. 8-9 min each / Silent
Model: Ryoma Sato (Rock Climber)
Installation view at the Hualien Internation Stone Sculpture Festival
A statue of a human body emerges from the darkness. Muscles, ample, with body fat trimmed to the extreme. It reminds one of the physique of a body-builder,
But it is the body of a professional rock-climber.
On the natural rocks, they carve out a line that is scalable to the human,
With strict training and dietary restriction, protein intake,
And long hours in confrontation with one’s own body,
Limits surpassed, conversing with nature, they gradually conquer the rocks.
The climber’s body borne out of this process,
It’s entirety forms the beauty that comes with function.
It is said, contemporary climbing can be traced to the late 19th century.
Scaling arduous routes picked out on the rocks,
With only the bare minimum of protection,
Modern climbing can at times cause serious injury, or even death,
Requiring not only the toughest of bodies, but also the strength of mind.
As seen in the marble sculptures of ancient Rome,
The beauty of their bodies, in other words,
Is a sculpture of the mind formed by the natural rocks.
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