Video installation explores choreography of nature

A series of hypnotic short films by Hiroya Sakurai comprises “The Stream Series,” showing on the Media Wall at the entrance to Fitchburg State University’s Conlon Hall at 316 Highland Ave through Jan. 10.

The installation, displayed on a screen measuring six feet by 10 feet, is presented by the film and video concentration offered in Fitchburg State’s Communications Media Department, in collaboration with the Revolutions Per Minute Film Festival.

“In the man-made waterways of rice paddies, the water in nature must follow artificial rules. In that way, nature is made abstract, giving rise to a new form of beauty distinct from the natural state. The theme of this work is the liveliness of the water as it follows the man-made course,” Sakurai writes. “This work is a ballet using the sound and the movement of the algae and water. With the waterway as the theater, I filmed the choreography of the algae that flows in the water.”

Sakurai began creating the series of short films in 2011 and has made annual additions to the series. The complete cycle now on display at the Media Wall lasts approximately 75 minutes.

For additional information, please contact Fitchburg State Professor Robert Harris at rharris@fitchburgstate.edu.