Interview with Moriko Mori

Could you briefly explain the driving force/motivation behind your work?

My driving force is a never-ending question about the mystery of life, death, and rebirth. One of the concepts behind Tom Na H'iu was rebirth which I was inspired by prehistoric culture. Every time, I searched for the answer from the knowledge of the past, looking at how they answered themselves then. I try to find the universal, eternal vision that was embedded in different periods and cultures in history.

Please talk a bit about the process of your work.

As a start, I do research, sometimes visiting archaeological sites or researching a certain era or period that resonates with me. At the time when I was working on Tom Na H'iu, I researched the Celtic prehistoric period. I found something that is relevant for us now - knowledge that should be inherited to us even from prehistoric time. I tried to bring the idea to life by making it into an artwork. The original idea comes from my research. Then, I explore technology available to describe and express it.

For Tom Na H'iu project, I requested a Nobel prize professor, Mastaoshi Koshiba, for support and collaboration from Cosmic Ray Research of Tokyo University in order to receive neutrino data for Super Kamiokande. I visited Super Kamiokande and made a team with engineers to collaborate. For the production of the physical sculpture, I researched craftsmen who can produce such a work. I found a glass craftsman in Padova. Usually, I organize a team to produce the work.

In essence, what kind of change or transformation is your work pursuing, and are there any examples of where it is succeeding, or different places where your work is unfolding?

In 2010, I began a monumental public project to create six site-specific artworks engaging unique ecological settings, local communities, and collaborators on each of the Earth’s habitable continents. With my Faou's project, I wish to bring earth consciousness by installing artwork to honor nature.