The Problem of History
This unassuming white garden chair may seem unloved and neglected, but in Simon Fujiwara’s piece it stands as a monument to survivors of war. Though the chair may appear to be plastic, it is actually made of bronze. Metal was in high demand during World War II and many bronze shrine sculptures were melted down to make weapons. Will this chair be able to avoid the fate of those wartime sculptures? Perhaps the branches of the tree will intervene and hoist it up out of reach. Maybe hiding in plain view as an “everyday item” will protect it from the ravages of the future. Indeed, what will “everyday item” even mean one thousand years from now?