Fictional City 2005
Fictional City, 2005
Plaster
8.5(h) x 76(w) x 67(d) in (22 x 193 x 170 cm)
During a residency in the northern Italian town of Novara, I was inspired by the city map of historic Novara, especially its general form, which I rendered by casting individual building blocks in plaster. The project evolved through historic dialogue with local residents and working with dozens of high school students. The installation connected people, place and history.
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by gary owen
During a residency in the northern Italian town Novara, Nakamura focused on the innocuous city map as a source saturated in meaning. Using the typically irregular city blocks of Novara, Nakamura began to dissect the meaning of boundaries. Forming plaster blocks with the foot plan of the city blocks, but with an elevation irrespective of the actual buildings’ makeup, Nakamura re-envisioned the town as a series of minimalist blocks. The context is erased, except for the boundaries. Can one recognize the shape of one’s own residence if the volume is drastically altered? Boundaries are not the only variable defining a place.
