JR岡山駅から列車で南に1時間。海が見えたら、そこは終点の宇野駅だ。
かつてはこの先にも線路が続いていた。
宇高連絡船。線路が搭載された船に列車ごとズドンと乗り込み、瀬戸内海を渡って高松駅に繋がる「海の鉄道」が存在していた。瀬戸大橋が出来て間もなく、宇高連絡船は需要が減り幕を閉じることになったが、現在もこの港町では当時の面影に出会うことができる。
そんな宇野の街巡りや島巡りに、連絡船に見立てた10台のレンタサイクルを。この地で一度、「道具としての終点」を迎えた鉄たちを集め、熱して叩き、実際に乗車できる自転車に再生させた。塗装色はかつての連絡船の色。後輪上の文字は船名を示している。
…というコンセプトを掲げ、乗車できるアートを展開したのが6年前。乗り物である以上、定期的なメンテは欠かせません。それでも今も作品が存続できているのは、地元の方々のサポートのお陰です。
One more time, beyond the last stop
1 hour south by train from JR Okayama Station. When you see the sea, it’s Uno Station, the last stop.
In the past, the railroad tracks continued beyond this point.
Uko Railroad Ferry. There was a “sea railroad” where each train boarded a ship equipped with railroad tracks and crossed the Seto Inland Sea to connect to Takamatsu Station. Shortly after the Seto Bridge was built, the demand for the Uko Railroad Ferry was reduced and closed, but even now, you can still see various remnants of that time in this port town.
In order to enjoy the Uno city tour and island tour, I made 10 bicycle rentals that looked like a railroad ferry. Irons that reached the “end point as a tool” in this town were collected, heated and beaten, and regenerated into a bicycle that can actually be ridden. The paint color is the color of the ferry, and the letters on the rear wheels indicate the ship name.
Six years ago, I presented these "rideable art" pieces. As a vehicle, regular maintenance is essential. Nevertheless, the artwork has survived to this day thanks to the support of local residents.
瀬戸内国際芸術祭2022に向けて。
SETOUCHI TRIENNALE 2022
このレンタサイクルの作品は、設置場所がこれまでと変わります。宇野駅西側にちょっとした広場があって、そこで展示＆レンタル運営をするかたちになります。…に伴い、作品に追加で自立式のサインを作りました。瀬戸内海は穏やかな海と言われていますが、とはいえやっぱり港町。風が強い日も多いです。その環境でも倒れないように、「上は賑やか、下はスッキリ」な見た目にしつつ、重心は可能な限り低く。このサインのトータルの重さは約24kgで、そのうち20kgは下の四角いプレートが占めています。
The location of this bike rental work will be different from the past. There is a small plaza on the west side of Uno Station, where we will be exhibiting and running the rental operation. In line with this change, we have created an additional freestanding sign for the artwork. The Seto Inland Sea is said to be calm, but it is still a port town. There are many days when the wind is strong. To prevent the sign from falling over in such an environment, we kept the center of gravity as low as possible, while keeping the sign looking "lively at the top and clean at the bottom. The total weight of this sign is about 24 kg, of which 20 kg is occupied by the square plate below.
上部のデザインはこれまでのサイクルラックとの繋がりを。少し遡ると…
The design at the top makes a connection to previous bike racks. Going back a bit...
上の写真は2017年に作った、屋根付きサイクルラック。今も宇野駅の横で健在です。
下の写真は2016年に、フェリー乗り場の前に設置した仮設サイクルラック。今はもうありません。
今回作った自立式サインと合わせて3点。全て、小さな自転車オブジェと書体が共通項になっています。特に自転車オブジェは作品本体と同じく、この地で集めた鉄の廃材で作りました。リニューアルされる度に芸が細かくなってるのがミソです。
Pictured above is a covered bike rack that was built in 2017. It is still going strong next to Uno Station.
The photo below is a temporary bike rack that was installed in 2016 in front of the ferry dock. It is no longer there.
Together with the freestanding sign we made this time, there are three pieces. All of them share the same typeface as the small bicycle sculpture. The bicycle object in particular, like the work itself, was made from scrap iron collected in the area. Each time it is renewed, the workmanship becomes finer and finer.
4/14、開幕します。
The festival will open on April 14.
芸術祭の楽しみ方はたくさんあります。僕からもひとつご紹介。
アートをきっかけに現地の風土や営みに触れられるのが芸術祭の醍醐味ですが、これは一方通行な話ではありません。アーティスト達も同じ様に、現地特有の風土・文化に触れ、そこで受けた刺激が創造の種になっています。気になる作品に出会ったら、「創造の種は何だろう？」と、宝探ししてみて下さい。港や島々、海、船、歴史…そして人々。きっと、いろんな場所から見つかるはずです。
There are many ways to enjoy the Art Festival. Let me introduce one of them.
One of the best parts of art festivals is the opportunity to experience the local climate and local life through art, but this is not a one-way conversation. Artists are also exposed to the local climate and culture, and the stimulation they receive there becomes the seed of their creativity. When you come across a work of art that interests you, ask yourself, "What is the seed of creativity? and try to find the treasure. Ports, islands, the sea, ships, history, and people. You will surely find them in various places.
▶︎旅色FO-CAL
▶︎KEIRIN HOTEL 10
宝の地図に、熱いリンクを3つ貼りました。良い旅を！
I posted 3 hot links as a treasure map. Have a nice trip!
