Rolling Counterpoint and Holding what you have lost

Rolling Counterpoint was created by artist Taro Hattori to explore how a conversation in a teahouse could bridge the distance we feel from one another. It was intended to be a space to connect and bridge diverse and often disconnected communities, and foster public dialogue about notions of division and belonging in contemporary society.  

Reactivated for this exhibition, Hattori has created two rolling benches. One is located next to the teahouse, the other is located next to the succulent garden beyond the Love Temple (in the Italianate Garden). These new benches are inspired by Endai (Japanese benches that create a porous boundary between the inside/private and outside/public spaces). They are intended as additional spaces for intimate encounters and connection. This time, this installation’s social purpose moves beyond sharing stories, to reflect on how grief, vulnerability, and absence shape an individual. It is the artist’s hope that being vulnerable and sharing one’s loss with another person can lead to mutual understanding and an empathetic connection.

Always, take a deep breath. 

You may do this activity with someone you know well, someone you want to know more, or by yourself. 

1. If you have a stone that speaks to you, please bring it. If you don’t, that’s fine. 

2. Sit at the installation and begin with a few deep breaths. Just relax. 

3. Hold your stone, or find one you like in the box. Then, strike the bell with the accompanying mallet. 

4. As you listen to the sound of the bell, feel what or who you have lost. Feel the weight, texture, and temperature of the stone, as if you are embedding your loss into it, so that it stays there. 

5. Talk with whoever you came with, or someone sitting nearby, or anyone at all, after this experience. 

6. You may leave your stone in the box, or not. You may keep a stone from the box, or not. 

These work is displayed in the meadow above Parking Lot 2 and the West Lawn.

_{Photos by Airyka Rockefeller}