Takeshi Tanabe (Japan), ‘Between Sky and Earth (Exchanging Messages)’, Artist impression of work to be created for and exhibited at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2023.
Takeshi Tanabe, one of Japan’s most highly regarded senior artists, has been announced as the Tourism Western Australia Invited International Artist for Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe 2023 with a major light installation to Perth’s night sky as part of next month’s exhibition.
The artwork, ‘Between Sky and Earth (Exchanging Messages)’, is a penetrating light artwork that shines directly upwards 2km into the night sky from the end of the groyne at Cottesloe beach.
As the sun sinks below the iconic Cottesloe beach horizon and the twilight sky darkens each night during the exhibition, ‘Between Sky and Earth (Exchanging Messages)’ will shine into the sky, inviting visitors to enjoy the beauty of the Indian Ocean coastline and one-of-a-kind art exhibition well into the evening.
In collaboration with the Town of Cottesloe, at 7:45pm, 8:15pm and 8:45pm each evening all lights on the south beach and parkland of Cottesloe beach and the groyne will be turned off for 30 seconds when the light sculpture will also be turned off, allowing visitors to watch the speed of light in the pitch black night sky as the artwork travels 2km vertically into the night sky when the artwork is turned back on. Each night the artwork will be turned off shortly after 11pm as the last diners are leaving the restaurants of Cottesloe beach.
Tanabe said, “It is a great honour to be able to create this work for Cottesloe. I want to create a monument to mankind’s desire to convey a message from the earth to the universe, and an expression of our own questioning of the future of mankind. I hope that the viewer who gazes at the night sky with this work will have an opportunity to question the nature of our existence on the earth.”
Founding Director of Sculpture by the Sea, David Handley, said, “For many years Takeshi Tanabe and I have wanted to install one of his major light art installations on the groyne at Cottesloe Beach. The support of Tourism WA has made this possible. It will be fascinating to follow the light 2km up into the night sky.”
Takeshi Tanabe is one of Japan’s most highly regarded artists. He has exhibited in major solo and group exhibitions in Japan and around the world and is represented in significant collections across the globe. Tanabe has exhibited his carved granite sculptures several times at Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe and Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi and has long dreamed of bringing a light installation to Cottesloe beach. The artist’s previous light installation works are on permanent public display in Japan and Taiwan.
Tourism WA has supported the Invited International Artist program since 2016, facilitating acclaimed international artists to exhibit major works on the shores of Cottesloe Beach for the enjoyment of Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe visitors. In 2022, the program briefly pivoted to support Perth-based collective Heavy Duty to exhibit the hugely popular ‘Beach Goals’ due to Covid-19 border closures.
Tanabe will join other prominent sculptors invited in previous years including Zadok Ben-David (Israel), Sir Tony Cragg (England), Li Wei and Zhan Wang (China), Chris Booth (New Zealand) and kinetic sculptors Phil Price (New Zealand) and Haruyuki Uchida (Japan).
Tourism Minister Roger Cook said, “Sculpture by the Sea is a popular event that attracts thousands of visitors each year to Perth’s iconic Cottesloe Beach.
“The Western Australian Government, through Tourism WA, is honoured to host an artist as renowned as Takeshi Tanabe as this year’s Invited International Artist, as we celebrate the upcoming return of direct flights between Japan and Perth later this year.
“Takeshi Tanabe’s unique light monument will perfectly showcase WA’s iconic Cottesloe Beach and our spectacular coastline to the world, and we expect it to be a popular attraction at this year’s Sculpture by the Sea.
“I encourage West Australians to head down and view all the world-class works on display from more than 70 artists as part of Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe when the free exhibition returns to our shores in March.”
The 19th annual Sculpture by the Sea, Cottesloe runs from 3 – 20 March 2023.