Harajuku Room
2017
Installation, Assemblage of found objects from Tokyo and visitors self-portraiture posted to social media, 3m x 3m, Japan Foundation
This room belongs to an imaginary young woman who lives in Tokyo. It is filled with shimmering kawaii treasures, some acquired and others gifted to me from the community in Harajuku. For young adults living in family homes, share housing or tiny apartments, the bedroom can be an important inner sanctuary from the outside world. Filled with precious objects, a bedroom can tell a story of a young person’s identity, life experiences and interests. It is a creative space for the owner to retreat into, daydream and reflect on who they are and who they want to be.
As a visitor, you are also part of this installation. Over the next month and a half, hundreds of guests will walk through the room and react differently. Some will feel relaxed and enjoy studying the kawaii objects, whilst others will feel overwhelmed and claustrophobic due to all the clutter and noise. When you take photos and share your experiences of the room to our hashtag you are documenting this experience
The techniques and concepts behind this room are inspired by other creative projects investigating bedrooms of collectors. In particular I was heavily influenced by the photography work of Shiroki Kawamoto and the installation spaces Sebastian Masuda and Micky Allan.