8/14 U.S.-JAPAN ART NIGHT Session 2 @International House of Japan

U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Program fellows Megumi Aihara and Dan Spiegel, along with their partners Tamotsu Teshima and Shotaro Oshima discussed the concept and production process of the project “Looking, After the Fire,” a monument installed in the courtyard of the U.S. Pavilion at the Osaka-Kansai Expo.

Dan and Megumi began thinking deeply about coexistence with wildfires following the massive fires that occurred in their home state of California in 2020. Fire possesses a dual nature: it has a destructive side that takes lives, but also plays an essential role in the cycle of ecosystems. The team contrasted the modern American view that “fire should be suppressed” with the Japanese cultural perspective of “worship and coexistence with fire.” They explained that recently, even in the U.S., there is a return to the idea of accepting fire as part of the ecosystem, as seen in policy shifts by the National Park Service.

We must not just prevent fire, but live with it. As a monument symbolizing flame and regeneration, the team decided to construct a Hinomi Yagura (fire lookout tower) imbued with a new meaning. The structure uses Hinoki (Japanese cypress), Japan’s representative timber, and was built using traditional joinery techniques without nails. A bell that rings with the tone of peace and friendship between Japan and the U.S. is installed at the top.

It is only when we become conscious of the life that follows the fire that we can truly begin to live with it.