Seen

*Japanese ver

"Girl with Chrysanthemums" at National Museum in Kraków

When I came here in July,
this painting wasn't here, yet

It was in Japan, exhibiting in Kyoto city until June

But today, it was here

---

Standing in front

Vague question occurred in me;

"Seen..........how much has she been seen so far?"

Here, in Kraków
she was seen by
a countless number of Polish people

There, in Japan
she was seen by
a countless number of Japanese people

And now
she is being seen by
me

For more than 100 years,
extraordinary amount of gazes she has received

Yet,
she received any damage from it

---

Light. Air. Temperature.

These invisible, intangible forces cause decays to paintings

But gaze, eyes of humans,
......no matter how intense it is.....
doesn’t exhaust her

We, humans, can feel others’ gazes even on our backs

And we, humans, feel tired with being seen by other humans

---

Gaze is such a peculiar force

It does not have any power over
soulless matters

It does have an enormous power over
living existences