For a new installation, titled 'Words,' Japanese studio Nendo created 20 acylic bottles that symbolize the various Japanese words for rain. The exhibit will be shown at the Maison&Object trade fair in Paris.
Nendo intentionally chose an English word that had several alternatives in Japanese in order to explore the divergence and complexity of language. In English, "rain" is a straight-forward, simple concept that is conveyed by a single word (give or take a few modifiers); however, in Japan, rain is much more nuanced, the words changing in accordance with the quality of the rain and time of day it occurs.
Each transparent rain bottle features an item suspended in its center, representing the Japanese word it stands for. For instance, one bottle carries thick vertical lines that reflect a torrential rainstorm, while three kinds of drizzle are signified by thinner strands.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Language Complexity
- Exploring the divergence and complexity of language through multiple words for rain.
- Nuanced Definitions
- Examining the nuanced definitions of rain based on the quality and time of occurrence.
- Representative Symbolism
- Using items suspended in transparent bottles to represent different Japanese words for rain.
Where This Applies
- Art and Design
- Creating installations that explore language complexity through the representation of rain.
- Language Studies
- Studying the nuanced definitions of words in different languages, such as the various Japanese words for rain.
- Weather Forecasting
- Analyzing the quality and time-based characteristics of rain to improve weather prediction and forecasting.
