What is Hecomi?
Hecomi, as we call it, are cracks and fissures or broken off and damaged areas, created by natural forces, on man-made surfaces such as roads or walls. By looking only at their shape one can see that even hecomi, which have a bad image of being old and dirty, have various attractive characteristics such as surprising novelty, heartwarming charm and overwhelming power. This may be because the voice that arose right at the boundary between humans and nature was given a visible form. Also, they are reminiscent of shapes seen on maps or remind us of creatures. Sometimes one may feel a sense of familiarity towards them.
Being intrigued by hecomi, we have used them as a motif for my work since 2000.
If we find one amongst them that we like, we will transfer its outline onto transparent film. We can then use PVC to create a positive – a flat object that fits directly into the actual crack. It is a dramatic moment when this unique key tightly fits in the keyhole with a click. By filling in the previously empty space, its shape stands out and sometimes we wonder about the stories of those lost pieces.