As part of Hidden Art’s foray into SaloneSatellite 2008, Japanese sculptor Daisuke Hiraiwa has designed a thought provoking lighting installation which is sure to catch the collective imagination of Milan.
Taking a mass of everyday, taken for granted objects (disposable cutlery) and using them together to form a rigid yet flowing structure may not seem like the usual fair for SaloneSatellite. Daisuke however has an approach to his ‘sculpture’ which incorporates light, allowing it to organically trickle through and filter down his creation.
“This concept is going to be used especially for Milan,” says Daisuke. “It is an idea I had had before I knew I was going to SaloneSatellite, but I didn’t know which materials would be suitable. The inspiration comes from Shoals of fish, from the movement and shape that they create. I also wanted to change a negative feeling into a positive feeling. In this case, the material is ordinary disposable cutlery, which most people don’t see as beautiful. But I want to change their feelings, and that’s how I decided on the cutlery.”
“I am currently in an MA for Interior and Spatial Design at Chelsea College. I have been in London for one and a half years.” You can see this in Dai’s very spacial work. There is no doubt it will find a space in SaloneSatellite’s environment of clever and forward-thinking designs.
I used to be a sculptor, and I already graduated an architectural course in Japan, so I am always looking at the meaning of space. So ‘Skin of Spaces’ means that I have changed my direction, and I want to be a designer. So Milan is obviously one of the biggest shows for this kind of work, so I want to make a new network. I have to place especial focus on creating a European design network while I am there.
“I used to be a sculptor, so what I do here is probably between art and design. But in many ways, it is still sculpture.” Daisuke’s designs play with overlapping light, refractions and permeation of the light source. All of this occurs over a very tactile looking texture given to the plastic knives and spoons, which goes a long way to representing the scales on his original, fish-based inspiration. “The shoal of fish is always moving, and I like the instability and I think with this structure, I can capture that.”
With so many individual pieces of cutlery involved, it is amazing when you hear of Daisuke’s method of imparting this texture. “It’s an easy process,” says Dai, holding up a soldering pen. “This tool is designed to connect electrical wires, and I just use it to create these holes. I did that on all of these pieces of cutlery.”
“My work is always involved in holes, I work in spaces,” he says. With his thinking based in the negative spaces, Daisuke’s plastic structure was perfectly suited to a lighting piece. Because of the nature of holes, and the process used to construct the piece, the first instinct on seeing Skin of Spaces is to want to touch it, but that doesn’t bother Daisuke. “Sure, you can touch it. It doesn’t matter, it’s just like hair. It is movable, but solid. I touch it all the time, you can style it.”
The prospect of exhibiting in Milan has Daisuke very excited. “I joined Hidden Art last September because I wanted to take part in Milan this year,” he says. “I have never been to Milan before, but I have heard of its reputation from friends. I am looking forward to seeing, for example, people like Marcel Wanders.”
“My market is for restaurants or more public spaces, so I want it to be exhibited in restaurants. I want it to make a new space, and it is quite suitable as my material is cutlery. So I want to have an exhibition. After Skin of spaces, I want to do something new. I have seen too many pieces of cutlery. I want to do something new.”
“I haven’t done anything else through Hidden Art, but it gives me the opportunity to show my design. That is what is important, and it gives me the platform to let the world see what is happening. As the event it so big, going through Hidden Art to get there is a great advantage.”