
Being A Witness 1
2017
Single channel video
Digital / Color
1:06
Once, the island of Ikeshima in Nagasaki Prefecture thrived as a bustling coal mining community. The island's residents worked tirelessly, never imagining an end to their prosperity. However, in 2000, the sudden announcement of the mine’s closure came through the newspaper, leaving the people in confusion. The once lively island quickly fell silent, and its population, which once numbered in the thousands, dwindled to only a few dozen. Today, rows of abandoned apartment buildings stand as remnants of the past, with a single man continuing to live among them.
This experimental video work was created by reflecting on the past, present, and future of the island and this man, evoking the question, "What is a homeland?" It captures the persistent emotions and realities that remain on the island.
