the artwork string by carsten nicolai was created in 2017 for the city of ishinomaki, a region on the japanese coast that was hit hard by the tsunami. in response to this tragedy, the newborn festival was created to give artists the opportunity to react to this situation.
string is a work of light art that uses a single laser beam to create a fragile connection between heaven and earth. this beam functions as a kind of monument that attempts to build a bridge between the physical and the metaphysical. it stands in the centre of the river region most affected by the tsunami. a bench built around the laser allows the viewer to sit down and look at the seemingly infinite laser beam, which reaches 11 kilometres into the sky in good weather and is visible throughout the region depending on the weather and situation.
the name string refers to the connection between the earth and the cosmos, between that which physically exists and that which no longer surrounds us.