Tadashi Kawamata to Build 'The Shower' from 3,000 Fruit Crates in Naples

Japanese artist Tadashi Kawamata will unveil a site-specific installation titled 'The Shower' on May 14 at Fondazione Made in Cloister in Santa Caterina a Formiello, Naples. Curated by Demetrio Paparoni, the work consists of three thousand wooden fruit crates sourced from local market waste, assembled in collaboration with artisans and youth from the Porta Capuana district. Kawamata, born in Hokkaido in 1953, emphasizes the ephemeral nature of the materials—crates typically discarded after use—and the collaborative process, which allows for spontaneity and deviation from initial plans. The installation reflects his interest in organic, fluid forms contrasting with rigid architecture, inspired by the chaotic social interactions of Naples. Kawamata compares each wooden element to a brushstroke in a drawing, and notes his work is never finished or perfect, aligning with Buddhist ideas of impermanence. This is his first project in Naples; he has previously worked in Venice, Rome, and Florence.