A Room of Her Own: Rei Naito and Light

2015

On an island in the Seto Inland Sea, the Teshima Art Museum integrates the serene seaside environment with an architectural structure by Ryue Nishizawa and the artwork "Matrix" by Rei Naito. The remote museum's single installation suspends light, air and droplets of underground water in constant play, defining a unique, meditative space barred from filming. An innovative portrait in which the mysterious artist refuses to appear onscreen, Yuko Nakamura's documentary explores five women's interactions with the dynamic space of "Matrix" in unprecedented access to the site while delving into Naito's body of work, beginning with her projects in Hiroshima. Foregrounding a deep connection with tangible and intangible elements of human experience and generations of Japanese women, Nakamura's film takes full advantage of the cinematic medium to confront Naito's artworks and the existential themes they evoke.