The Mountain of Sadness: Return of The Souls, by Danish visual artist Birgit Kjærsgaard, is a visual installation inspired by Osorezan, an active volcano in Aomori Prefecture. The work, which explores life and the afterlife and includes the Japanese notion that death is a new beginning, was also created as a tribute to Kinya Tsuruyama, a Butoh dancer with whom the artist collaborated from 2016 until his death in 2020.

The visuals and dramaturgy are inspired by the spectacular landscapes of “The Pool of Blood,” “The River of Souls,” and “The Lake of Heaven,” and are composed of three tableaux representing “The Source of Hell,” “The Lake of Heaven,” and “The Goddess of Mercy,” which combine film, digital images, light effects, sound, and smell.

Ms. Kjærsgaard develops The VERDENSRUM series, a cross-media project between film and art, based on cultural icons and metaphors from important world cultures, including Arab, Indian, Chinese, and Japanese. Supported by the Danish Arts Foundation, her work has been shown in Denmark, Germany, and Japan.

“The Mountain of Sadness: Return of The Souls in Tsugaru”（part of the 3^rd edition of Tsugaru Arts from the Temple）
Time and Dates: 9:00〜16:00 Sun. 1 Sep. 〜 Mon. 4 Nov. 2024
Venue: Koubouji Temple　https://nishinokouyasan.com/

Related Program: Performance “Butoh – Shape of prayer”
Date: Sun, 22 Sep. 2024
Artist: Mr. Shoichi Fukushi