The soundscape and films complement the works of our grandparents, Ferdi and Shinkichi, in the exhibition's final room and was inspired by the numerous conversations Tanéa and I shared, reminiscing about our youth. This work represents my effort to capture and immortalise the memories I have of my grandparents and our childhood home through music, sound, and film.

The soundscape heard in this room is shaped according to the structure of a haiku and resonates with the concept behind my grandfather Shinkichi's Karensansui (Zen Garden) designed for the Cobra Museum in Amstelveen. This 17-minute piece, divided into three sections of 5, 7, and 5 minutes, incorporates field recordings and ambient sounds from our home. Each melody in this soundscape comprises exactly five or seven notes, or multiples thereof. The acts transition smoothly into one another and loop endlessly, creating a perpetual sonic experience. Through the use of spatial audio, I wanted to transport the essence and nostalgia of our home into the exhibition space.

The films blend recent footage I shot around my childhood home with archival footage shot by my grandfather (from over 25 years ago), merging two different times and perspectives on the same place. These two screens also follow the haiku's rhythm: the left screen loops every five minutes, and the right screen every seven minutes, providing a continuously evolving visual experience. 

The haiku's in the film are written by Shinkichi (the first one) and myself (the last two).


Credits

Director, Edit, Camera, Music, Sound, Text: Shakuru Tajiri
Edit & Camera (Archival Footage): Shinkichi Tajiri

Sound Spatialisation: Daniël Schotsborg
Color Grading: Najim Jansen