the key in the hand

The Key in the Hand by Chiharu Shiota, the Japan Pavilion at the 56th Biennale di Venezia. A maze of more than 50.000 keys which were collected the past months with a donation campaign from across the world. Each key represents a memory, a story, a door to an unknown world.

The keys are held together by wool thread and form an impressive red rain cloud above two old boats. The boats symbolize two hands catching a rain of memories pouring down from the ceiling.