Hesitating Neon Sign

2011 Neon Tube 250mm x 450mm

In this work Niwa ordered the manufacture of a neon sign based on the hand written word “tamerau”(hesitate). Life is continuously full of decisions, but to hesitate and struggle with indecision is termed “tamerau” in Japanese. Within the sense of hesitation is contained one’s various insecurities, our thoughts towards others, our fears, our common sense, our sense of the world. In order to escape from our solitude we can not discard our desire to strive after mutual understanding through language and gesture. Without holding a commercial purpose, and with even the intention of the message being unclear, upon removing the anonymous word itself it evokes in the viewer the recollection of close human relations which is hidden behind this word.

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