The Decorator Crab project is inspired by a marine creature that camouflages itself by attaching objects from its surroundings. In its unadorned state, it would likely pass unnoticed—an invisibility that mirrors my interest in the impulse sparked by an unexpected encounter.

To preserve such moments, the project deliberately withholds information. Works may be placed in public or private spaces without revealing their title, size, medium, or location. Partial traces—photographs, printed matter, videos, sculptures—circulate, but the content remains fragmentary. The subject of the photographs is rarely the work itself, but rather its “witnesses”: people, objects, or landscapes suggesting its presence.

Each iteration differs in form and context, making Decorator Crab difficult to detect. The number of viewers may be none, or only a few. Yet for those who happen upon it, the surrounding landscape can suddenly shift into something subtly uncanny.

Since 2007, the project has unfolded in diverse sites worldwide, exploring perception, absence, and the limits of documentation. By scattering elusive presences and controlling what is revealed, it invites rare, unrepeatable encounters where the viewer’s awareness becomes the true site of the work.

Explore the Decorator Crab Series →

Decorator Crab – Expecting Spectators《0人もしくは1人以上の観客に向けて》, which transforms spaces and objects to establish new relationships through active viewer engagement. In Decorator Crab – Very Heavy Bag《ベリーヘビーバッグ》 and Decorator Crab – Mr. Kobayashi, the Pink Cat《ピンクの猫の小林さん》, he places deceptively simple objects—an unliftable bag and a large pink cat—to challenge perceptions and physical space. He also explores visual fragments and spatial perception in Decorator Crab – Arrangement, Adjustment, Movement《配置・調整・周遊》. By incorporating unpredictable events and experiences, his works consistently aim to stimulate the thoughts and actions of the viewers.

• Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima, Japan

• Takamatsu City Museum of Art, Kagawa, Japan

• Instagram: @takehiro_bau