2000 Waraji 200 Feet

2000 Waraji 200 FeetHeidi Axelsen, Nathan Hawkes, Hugo MolineEtched copper plates, steel, cotton rope, single edition book printed on snow bleached mulberry paper.2.9 L x 2.3 W x 3.4 H (m)Echigo Tsumari Art Feild,Niigata, JapanThis work was commissioned by 2015 Echigo Tsumari Art Triennial and the outcome of collaborative artist in residency at Australia House from 2013-2105 together with Hugo Moline and Nathan Hawkes.2000 Waraji 200 Feet is a gathering of impressions which find form in both a hand-crafted book and a hut in the landscape. Each copper shingle that forms the roof and the walls of the hut is cut into the shape of a Waraji sandal and hand-tied into the structure. Local people were invited to make an etching of their own everyday footwear on 200 of the 2000 copper shingles. The etched shingle were printed on snow-bleached mulberry paper and bound as a book which was displayed within the hut for the hot summer season. The impression of the shoes of the contemporary community upon the form of the ancient Waraji explores the tensions between the products and influence of a global culture and the preservation of a unique, local cultural heritage.