B E Y O N D T H E M A N I F E S T O : M I T O A N N U A L ’ 9 1 A R T A N D M E S S A G E, Art Tower Mito, Contemporary Art Gallery, Mito, Japan, 1991
Curator: Seiichi Watanabe
20 tons straw bale, steel, projector, wood, earth, lead
Babel was a two-part installation, consisting of a 42-foot tall tower in the shape of giant metronome, and a wooden row boat filled with earth and lead print-types of mixed scripts. The scripts allude to the Biblical reference of confusion in communication associated with the story of Babel. The giant metronome ticked back and forth, vibrating the walkway as one enters the dark tower. Overhead, spinning images of oil fields and fire were projected. Nagasawa’s personal questions about the social and political consequences of the (then) ongoing Gulf War were the genesis of this installation.