The artist of this piece, Ryuta Iida, uses Books as materials for his sculptures. Like many of the artists included in this event, he attended an art university. In art school, the students choose a main material such as wood, stone, steel etc, follow a curriculum and begin producing their own works.

As a student Iida questioned whether he could use a material that wasn’t stone or wood, but rather something that actually had meaning. He had always had an interest in literature, and had a preference for reading books in the original publication of the work. Rather than reading on an electronic reader, Iida prefered experiencing the book with all five senses, from turning the pages, to the smell of the paper itself.

From this connection to books, the piece for this exhibition was born.

If you are going to create a sculpture, it is impossible to ignore the quality of the material or the unique characteristics the material itself holds.The presence of the materials themselves are conveyed through the final product. This is why Iida used a delicate technique of cutting the books, incorporating the information, symbols, and even the binding of the books, to create a completely different three dimensional object.

The piece is displayed in a completely white space in order to force each and every visitor to face the piece head on. Iida challenged himself to create a piece that was so intense it couldn’t be overwhelmed by the space it was placed in. A head on confrontation.

He also wants guests to enjoy the “difference between viewing the piece from afar and viewing it up close.” Up close, the actual words from the books can be read, while from far away you can experience the magnificence of the piece as a whole like the artistic effect of an oil painting. Rather than a flat surface, the piece allows you to feel the physical presence of a book.

The sublimation of books into art. Rather than just a means to get information, we hope this piece will make you understand the meaning of reading itself as an action.