Thousand Scrapes Thousand Response
2023, Razor wire, paint, washi tape.
Barbed wire is a powerful symbol of confinement, exclusion, and segregation. In Thousand Scrapes Thousand Response, Yamamoto’s wall of wire reflects the processes of migration and her own experience as a migrant in the UK. Throughout the exhibition, she silently cuts the barbs from the wire one by one and replaces them with delicate washi paper. In Japanese Shinto and Buddhist rituals, washi, often tied to trees or sacred ropes, is considered a material of purity and protection.
In the corner of the room sits a desk where visitors are invited to respond to the artist’s question: “What did you do to be accepted?” Drawing from her own negotiations of adaptation and belonging, Yamamoto asks participants to write their experiences on paper, which then becomes part of the evolving sculpture.
This creates a quiet negotiation between artist and audience: her slow, painful labour encourages visitors to disclose their own stories in return. Over the two-month performance, the work gathered 850 responses, collectively tracing the tensions, sacrifices, and desires behind acts of acceptance.
