2024
LÜRZER’S ARCHIVE ISSUE 226
LÜRZER’S ARCHIVE ISSUE 226
A review of one of my
hyperfixations, the House of Light
in Niigata by James Turrell, written
for and published in Lürzer's Archive
issue 226.
Link to the story here.
hyperfixations, the House of Light
in Niigata by James Turrell, written
for and published in Lürzer's Archive
issue 226.
Link to the story here.
James Turrell House of Light
In the quiet of Tokamachi, Japan,
enter this unique sanctuary of
light and space.
Ueno-ko, Tokamachi, Niigata, Japan
Experiencing James Turrell’s site-specific work is an act of transcendence, as it leads you out of the walls of a museum, far from the bustle of the city. The House of Light is a guesthouse, meditation house and art installation in one. Here, visitors find themselves in a new spiritual realm where boundaries between art and life, self and other, blur and fade.
The House of Light welcomes just three families to share the accommodation each night. As I lay down beside my fellow guests on tatami mats beneath the Skyspace, where colour-changing LED lights frame the sky in an open skylight, distractions quickly melted away, leaving us with only the present moment to savor. Time seemed to stand still as we gazed at the square aperture above us. Sharing a roof with strangers had never felt more intimate. No scrolling on our smartphones, no social barriers — just the silent communion of souls connected by a shared experience. As the pitch-black sky commanded our full attention, the outside world faded away, and I was left with only my thoughts and the shared warmth of those around me.
For booking and more information visit The House of Light website.
Image 1 Only guests staying overnight can experience the changing sky and the gradual change in the indirect lighting. Image 2 The fibreglass bathtub lets you touch the lights in the water.
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An attempt to understand the duality of day and night, Orient and Occident, tradition and modernity.
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