3753 is a ritual that addresses the issues of life and death in modern times. We created this artwork with the innovation that revives the culture that has become a 'ghost'. We consider human ideas to be better inventions than many devices.
In Japan, there is a Shinto ritual called “753”. This event was created as a way to thank God for a child’s growth. Because a child’s early life was considered ordinary, this tradition happened when they were 3, 5, and 7 years old respectively. In modern times, however, the motivations have changed and, consequently, children of those ages now put on kimonos and visit shrines and temples with their parents.
3753 is a creation which combines the original meaning of “753” with the problem the artist experienced over the suicide death of a friend.
Suicide in Japan is most common among people in their 30’s. So, the participants in this work are 33, 35, and 37 years old. The venue is the parents’ home. On the day of the ceremony, the ritual symbols are placed at the entrance and decorated with what the characters liked in their childhood. Just before the ritual begins, they change into formal wear.
When the ritual begins, the participants drink supplements they hope will bring them longevity. Then, they report to the family that they have survived and thank them. Finally, they all toast and have a family meal.
Similar to the suicide death of a close friend, the pandemic has revealed to us the violence that can come from loneliness and reminds us that life is easily lost. At the same time, it becomes an opportunity to reaffirm how important our connections with others are.
Under circumstances such as these, 3753 was made to create an ‘environment’ for two reasons. The first is to help with a way to build a new daily life. That is, an environment of reviving the culture that has become a ‘ghost’. The second is to create art that, in an environment similar to the ‘events’ practiced by Fluxus, blurs the boundary between the artwork and the viewer, thus instilling new thoughts more concretely into public life.
