閉店のトレーニング / Training for Closing

24時間365日オープンし続け、不夜城のように明るい光とサービスを提供してきた日本のコンビニエンスストア。しかし近年、働き手不足や労働環境の見直し、環境負荷への配慮などから、深夜営業を取りやめる動きが少しずつ現れている。
都内で深夜に閉店する14店舗のコンビニをリサーチし、それぞれの店の照明が消え、シャッターが閉じられるまでの時間を記録した。消灯のタイミングがシンクロした14店舗の映像は、永遠に続くと思われていた都市のシステムが停止する場面のようでもあり、一方で、人工的な光が消えたことで、夜の暗さと静けさが戻ってくるような、奇妙な安堵や解放感も感じられる。

Japanese convenience stores have long remained open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing bright lights and services throughout the night. In recent years, however, some stores have begun to stop operating at night due to labor shortages, changes in working conditions, and other factors.
I researched 14 convenience stores in Tokyo that close late at night and recorded the period from when their lights were turned off until their shutters were closed. The 14 videos are synchronized so that all the lights go out at the same moment. The scene resembles an urban system that was thought to continue forever suddenly coming to a stop. At the same time, the disappearance of the artificial light brings back the darkness and quiet of the night, creating a strange sense of relief and release.

*Still from a color video. Courtesy of the Artist.

CV/NEWS/VIDEOS/ INSTALLATIONS / ACTIONS/ GRAPHICS / TOMO City Museum / INSTAGRAM