Filmed silhouettes of the artist himself are projected in real size onto the interior wall of the exhibition space. As the projector is installed at about the same position as the light source that originally generated the shadows, it becomes impossible to distinguish between the silhouettes in the projection, and the shadows of visitors standing between the wall and the projector, and thus blocking its light.

Shadows appear whenever there is a light source, a surface (a wall, a floor, etc.), and an object that blocks the light from falling onto the surface. The shadow images in "Portray the Silhouette" appear disconnected from the respective actual object. Nevertheless, they create an impression of the artist actually being present in the exhibition room, which is certainly due to the fact that an actual object has to be there to produce a shadow in the first place. This realistic sensation inspires the visitor to interact with the artist’s shadow, and at the same time, to reflect on the phenomenon of the shadow as a fundamental principle in film and video.

"Electric Shadows" juxtaposes again two different types of shadows - live-action footage and subsequently added drawn elements. Back in 1984 when the work was made, the technology used for adding graphics while playing back a video was still new. In addition to the graphics themselves, the menu display of the equipment used, the precision of the graphics, and the drawing speed - all of which is recorded and visible here - convey the artist’s intention to demonstrate through his work not only the technology's actual creative potential, but also the general meaning of such functions.

FUJIHATA Masaki Profile
Born 1956. Has been working in the realms of computer graphics and animation since the early 1980s, after which he switched to sculpting using computers, before creating a number of interactive works from the '90s on. Today he is internationally recognized as a leading figure in the field of media art, and continues to explore the relationship between art and science through different approaches. "Beyond Pages" and "Field-Works" are two of his best-known works. He published numerous books including "Art and Computer" and "Fukanzen na Genjitsu (Incomplete Reality)" among others.
Past Exhibition / Event