The sculptor and video artist Hiraki Sawa has presented this Wednesday Parallel Memoryan exhibition produced by the Museo Universidad de Navarra in which he reflects on the construction of memory and its loss. "I have given this title to the exhibition because much of my work is related to memory itself." In this sense, he has expressed that he hopes that "these films trigger those of the spectators and their sensations".

Sawa was accompanied by Valentín Vallhonrat, artistic director of the Museum and curator of the exhibition together with Rafael Levenfeld. Vallhonrat explained the genesis of this exhibition, which arose from the Museum's invitation to Sawa to participate in the artistic production program. Tender Puentes. In this encounter with the Museum's collection, the arstite linked his reflections to the latent image, discovered by Talbot (1800-1877) in the development of calotypes, one of the first photographic techniques.

Her residency began in May 2017 and ended in June of this year, and the result is the installation Parallel Memory, which houses room 0 of the floor. The work is accompanied by 15 films projected on 18 screens and four monitors, as well as 24 drawings and 4 sculptural pieces. In addition, eight works from the Museum's historical photography collection can be contemplated. "They are pieces that not only accompany the installation, but give it meaning and allow for its deep understanding. There is a complete development of all the symbology that appears in Sawa's filmography." The exhibition brings together works made between 2002 and 2019.

The artist develops concepts and themes around the construction of reality through the still and moving image, and among the themes that inspire him are family memories, the movement of inanimate objects in domestic environments and the insertion of ghostly images in natural landscapes, among others.

THE PLUNDERING OF MEMORY

The exhibition includes three fundamental pieces, considered a trilogy of memory (Parallel Memory, Lineament y Did I?) that reflect on memory itself, its absence, and the construction of a visual memory. Sawa has explained that he began this exploration when, in the late 1990s, a friend of his became amnesic. "At that time I wasn't planning to do anything on this subject but, when I reviewed my previous works, many people told me that they were memories of their childhood, a landscape that perhaps they had seen and that, even if they didn't remember where, they recognized. So I realized that my work has a lot to do with this theme."

A SCULPTOR WORKING WITH A COMPUTER

Likewise, the artist has stressed that he considers himself a sculptor, a training that determines his way of creating: "I studied sculpture, so I am not trained as a filmmaker, photographer or video artist. Twenty years ago I had the opportunity to work with moving images on a computer and I made a film, Dwelling (room 2, floor -1). It was like making a sculpture because with the computer I can cut out an object, move it and superimpose it on another. I spent several years making these moving images and started to explore installations using time, space and movement".

Precisely, the artist has highlighted the importance of space in his work, not as a mere continent but as an essential part of it: "I create works in three dimensions, taking advantage of space. I am concerned about how to use each of the spaces. I think it's a different experience than watching a YouTube video or watching a movie at home." A work that clearly manifests this spirit is Hako (room 4, floor -1), made up of six simultaneous projections on screens resting on the floor.

Sawa has also stressed that his work is related to feelings linked to memory: "Art is not about giving information or knowledge, but about offering an opportunity to imagine and come to our own knowledge".