Life

Miho Suganami (2003)

Please lift the whole thing, and immediately afterwards, lift the egg only. Which is the heavier, the whole or the egg? Your life is weightier than yourself.

This work consists of two parts: one big egg (5cm dia.) and a circular plate with a round bottom (15cm dia) for the big egg. The egg is made with bronze and in the egg shape. The plate is made with aluminium, and the top side of the plate is flat and slightly tilted, and has a small dent to place the eggs in.

If you lift the whole thing first, and then lift the egg only, because of the difference of specific gravity between aluminium and bronze, you will experience that the egg is heavier than the whole.

This work was developed to give the audience some ‘unexpected’ experience.

When we are experiencing something, we expect what will happen in the immediate future and can predict correctly in most cases. When we cannot predict correctly, this will cause some thrill, and attracts our attention. So, you will be more aware of what you are experiencing through interaction with the work.

This work also received positive response, especially from Ms Keiko Chiba, the director of the Sensory Museum, Miyagi, Japan. The Sensory Museum (http://www.kankaku.org) aims to provide an opportunity for us to enjoy artworks with all the senses available. This work is now in the permanent collection of the Sensory Museum.