Yamamoto uses salt as a metaphor for the fragility of life, but also as a means of preserving memories. His salt labyrinths are poetic testimonies to the cycle of life and death. In Japen, salt has been associated with the Shinto rituals of purification, protection and the transition to the afterlife since ancient times. Salt features in ceremonies related to the cycle of life and death all over the world. In the Western world, salt is also part of the sacrament of baptism. To Yamamoto, his artistic creation is synonymous with keeping alive the memories of his loved ones who died too soon.
The technical mastery and spiritual and meditative dimension of his monumental, site-specific installations are fascinating. On the other hand, his pieces also have something fragile and ephemeral to them. The ephemeral 'freshness' of salt as a medium for an artistic installation evokes the fragility and transience of life. Salt is an unstable medium that is affected by the slightest draft or fluctuation in humidity.
Behind the apparent simplicity of the geometric patterns lies a process that is both physically and mentally arduous. The solitary ritual is therefore an integral part of Yamamoto's artistic practice.
At the end of After Paradise on 6 October, the artist is inviting the public to collectively destroy the installation, after which the grains will be returned to the sea. This completes the cycle.
Yamamoto consulted the Kortrijk Triennial team and chose the chapel of the Discalced Carmelites on Grote Kring in Kortrijk as the location for this installation. This chapel was built between 1715 and 1719 and was given a new façade in 1894. The interior is built in an austere Baroque style with a black and white marble floor and an organ stand. This allows an interesting discourse between this heritage site and the artist's work.
