This is a collaborative project with the exhibition of the same title that had been held at the Tokyo National Museum until just a few days ago.
The first time I came into contact with Rei Naito's work was when I had the opportunity to visit her exhibition in January 2023.
The title at that time was ‘All animals exist within the world just like water within water’.
As I had just completed a course ‘Creative Vision’ of Brain Gym and was interested in how to use my eyes and perceive space, it was a good experience for me to see what it is like to perceive space.
The moment I stepped into the exhibition space at Ginza Hermes this time and saw the tiny little exhibits characteristic of Naito's work, memories of visiting her exhibition last time came back to me.
However, my first reaction was unexpectedly poor, the same as last time.
The exhibition space was not very large, and after a quick look around the various exhibits, my visit was over in a few minutes.
I went upstairs after looking from one end of the exhibition space to the other, recognizing the similar exhibits to those I saw last time.
From the upper floor, I looked down at the exhibition on the lower floor, which I had just seen.
Only then did I realise that I had missed a number of small exhibits hanging above the lower floor and went back downstairs and checked the exhibits one by one.
When I checked the list of works, I realised that there were stones, soil, shells, branches and other objects on display that had been collected in Japan and other countries.
When I first saw these exhibits, I was only vaguely aware of their existence without acknowledging anything more.
There was also a flower on the glass filled with water on the floor, and a paulownia wood board in front of it, which was big enough for one person to sit on.
At first I just stood by the board, looking at the flower, but the curator recommended me to sit and look at the flower, and then to look back.
What I experienced was that the coloured paper on the back wall caught my eye and I felt as if I had been in front of a flower garden.
At first, I only recognised the coloured paper on the wall and felt nothing.
As I enjoyed looking at the exhibits one by one, I felt comfortable as if the exhibition space were my home and stayed there for a long time.
Every time I passed by the same place, I made new discoveries, such as noticing small exhibits at the top of the wall, finding a connection between exhibits that were placed far apart, and sensing why the particular exhibits were there.
Finally, I was able to feel Rei Naito's idea of turning the entire space into a work of art and her question: ‘Is our existence on the Earth a blessing in itself?'
To be alive makes it possible to appreciate these small things from nature.
Thinking back of my attitude, I often focus on what I should do now too much to notice what is there.
Or even if I notice something, I only recognise its existence without feeling anything from it.
I have remembered two books I read recently.
The first one is ‘I Need Your Love - Is That True?’ by Byron Katie, which made me realise how much I was looking for approval from others and missing the perspective of valuing myself and how I feel.
The other book is ‘Power or Force?’ by Dr. David R. Hawkins, which made me realise that the reality I experience is heavily influenced by the specific energy field surrounding me.
I have recognized the importance of raising my level of awareness corresponding to the energy field by changing how to perceive the facts, and recently I have been trying to be more conscious of seeing and acknowledging things as they are.
While viewing Rei Naito's work, I realised that my perspective was only vaguely directed outwards, and that I had felt nothing for what I saw.
I thought that if I could feel and appreciate the richness of various things surrounding us, I would be able to feel the joy of being alive more deeply with less necessity of being approved from others.