"AO - Awakening Overload" is a project centered on themes of loss. Through various characters, it explores the concept of "mourning" (弔い/tomurai) across different cultures and eras. In our surroundings, countless objects of "mourning" exist—not just people, but also disappearing hometowns, lost family homes, vanishing landscapes, and cherished possessions we had to let go—all harboring memories of "loss."
In contemporary society, "death" and "loss" are rarely discussed, yet they form an essential part of our lives. This project questions the possibilities of "mourning" that cherish memories while finding new meaning and moving forward. It reframes "mourning" not as a formal ritual but as an ongoing process of dialogue with what we have lost.
現代社会では「死」や「喪失」について語られることが少ないですが、それらは私たちの人生の重要な一部です。このプロジェクトは記憶を大切にしながら、新たな意味を見出し、前に進む—そのような「弔い」の可能性を問いかけています。「弔い」を形式的な儀式ではなく、失ったものと対話し続けるプロセスとして捉え直します。
© [2025] "シール怪獣" by NAOWAO. From the project "AO - Awakening Overload".