ANCIENT VOICES

“For many years, I have been moved by the blue at the far edge of what can be seen, that color of horizons, of remote mountain ranges, of anything far away. The color of that distance is the color of an emotion, the color of solitude and of desire, the color of there seen from here, the color of where you are not. And the color of where you can never go...Leave the door open for the unknown, the door into the dark. That’s where the most important things come from, where you yourself came from, and where you will go.”

- Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide To Getting Lost

In 2018, an expedition to the Arctic Circle served as a pivotal moment in Katayama's practice, deepening their exploration of interconnectedness within the natural world and the human condition. For two and a half weeks, Katayama voyaged between 78 and 81 degrees north aboard the vessel Antigua, alongside a diverse group of artists, scientists, and educators. The purpose of this journey was to collect samples from the Arctic Sea to investigate whether traces of Fukushima's nuclear meltdown, in the form of Cesium-134 and 137, had reached the north polar ice cap via ocean currents. However, the vastness of the Arctic landscape prompted a shift from political concerns to a profound observation of the environment.

A key moment during the expedition occurred when a marine biologist explained the reliance of Arctic diatoms on nutrients from calving glaciers. These microscopic algae, crucial to the earth’s carbon cycle, sustain ocean ecosystems through the production of marine snow. Diatom blooms, visible from space, can expand to the size of islands, spreading through ocean currents and illustrating the intricate connections within the biosphere. This experience underscored Katayama's belief in the intrinsic interconnectedness of all existence, whether micro or macro, living or deceased.

Through their work, Katayama seeks to explore this interconnectedness as a framework for understanding the human condition, offering a gateway to accepting moral suffering, fostering transformation, and building resilience. In an era where climate change is not only reshaping landscapes but also impacting mental health on a global scale, Katayama aims to counteract nihilistic despair by emphasizing the importance of vital action in the present moment. Katayama's work invites viewers to experience a sense of gestalt — to recognize the whole, embrace communities, enhance group cohesiveness, and acknowledge that the monumental challenges facing humanity can be addressed through collective potential, innovation, and creativity.

Material: Strontium Aluminate, Kopp Glass 40 filter, UV light, Arduino, motor, audio of deep-sea currents captured via goPro, specimens collected from the Spitsbergen, Norway. * Strontium Aluminate has a half-life of 20 years - roughly when glaciers in the Northern hemisphere are expected to melt at a rapid rate.

Location: Miller ICA, 3rd floor.

Photography by: Tom Little