Mount Fuji - 富士山
Mount Fuji - or Fujisan - is a magnificent composer and conductor of cloud symphonies.
Some are minimalist and delicate, with few instruments, others are majestic full orchestra compositions,
and yet others are abstract pieces with unusual playing techniques and instrumentation.
Inspired by photos taken in the late 1920s by Japanese meteorologist and photographer Masanao Abe,
I stayed for nearly a month near Mount Fuji in January 2020, time lapsing the evolution and movement
of the clouds around it, always from the same vantage point.
The poetic expressions resulting from these image sequences range
from delicate and elegant over abstract to powerful, dark and moody.
Photography
For the creation of the time lapse movies I took about 15.000 photographs per day with a full frame camera - from sunrise until dusk - from the same spot.
Every moment and movement of the timelapse was thus captured in the highest quality, out of which I selected 24 key moments for this series of photographs.
What particularly strikes me is that I have been able to see so much beauty and variation in just one month - one can only imagine what magnificent and never identical displays already took place over Mount Fuji in the last hundreds if not thousands of of years.
Time Lapse Movie
Excerpt from a series of eight time lapses photographed in January 2020 - always from the same vantage point. The unique variation of shapes and movement of clouds each day was a tabula rasa with the previous day’s design
This sequence has been made for large scale projection with a surround soundscape which I created with accordeonist Gwen Cresens, blending own original compositions with interpretations of traditional and classical music.
The intro is an interpretation of the Japanese national anthem, followed by two original compositions, one of which contains a field recording of a traditional Buddhist ceremony. The fourth is an interpretation of Domenico Scarlatti’s Sonata in B minor K87, and the final one a recreation of the Okinawan traditional folk song ‘Tinsagu Nu Hana’
Concert
Live concert - excerpt
As part of a proof of concept I set up a live show at the Ancienne Belgique - with high definition projection and in collaboration with accordeonist Gwen Cresens, creating a live ambient soundtrack accompanying the flow and moods of the images.
Due to Covid restrictions the concert was online only - no audience was present - which in turn made the empty AB Main Hall look like a giant Japanese temple
Exhibitions
Tour & Taxis - Exhibition and Projection
Thank you Tour & Taxis - Maison de la Poste - Brussels for the opportunity in October 2021 to exhibit some medium and large frame Fuji photographs, and the use of their small but luxurious cinema theatre for a full surround high definition experience of the Fuji movie
Brussels Philharmonic - ‘Dreams’ - January 21st 2023
Thank you Brussels Philharmonic - for hosting my Clouds around Mount Fuji photography and time lapses as the backdrop of the ‘Dreams’ concert - in multiple spaces of the magical Flagey building
Japanese Embassy Brussels - Dec 14th 2023 - Jan 10th 2024
Thank you Japanese Embassy in Brussels - I was very honoured by the opportunity to display th e Fuji photographs and time lapse in the beautiful Cultural Space.
