Glasgow to Japan, 19 days, 456 hours, 11 time zones, 11 borders, 7 trains, one boat, a green dot.
Commissioned by Crossovers UK as part of Japan's 2005 Aichi World Expo. Via was part of the group exhibition Crossovers, showing at the Toyota Museum of Art, Japan. Funded by Crossovers UK, The Hope Scott Trust and The Scottish Arts Council, the artwork involved the recording of a green dot's movement on a 6400mile journey by land, from Glasgow Central to Toyota City. The route crossed Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China and Japan. Throughout the journey the green dot was photographed at each stationary point, creating a photo and video diary, which was projected in the museum throughout the period of the exhibition.
"Via’ began as an exploration of the possibility of making a drawing that connected two places on either side of the globe—Glasgow to Toyota. The impetus was to create an alternative definition of the map by drawing a dotted line that would cross 11 borders without adhering to predetermined frontiers.
An enquiry into methods of measuring distance - not by numbers and facts but physically, with the effort of moving through places, languages, climates, politics and landscapes—became a journey through relativity. Scotland relative to England in relation to France, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Russia, Mongolia, China and finally Japan.
‘Via’, had its first UK showing in MAP Magazine #3 AUTUMN 2005 - AUGUST 2005
