Japanese landscaper Eiki Danzuka collaborated with Dutch artist Theo Jansen. Earthscape was responsible for total direction and arrangement of a « Theo Jansen Exhibition. »
INSTALLATION CONCEPT – From the Sea to the Forest – A pack of Strandbeest come from the sea into the forest. They live by eating wind on the beach, and over the years undergo various evolutions. The forest and the sea share a connection as a single life form. The forest acts as a natural dam to protect against river flooding and droughts, and brings nutrients to the sea to help its phytoplankton and marine algae grow, and its fish prosper. Without the beautiful forest, the beautiful sea cannot exist. Just as humans evolved from the ocean, the Strandbeest, too, may leave their beach and begin an evolution into the forest. How will they choose to express themselves in Oita, home to both luscious oceans and forests?
– Sea / Life / Forest – This exhibition is composed of three zones: Sea, Life, and Forest. Sea is a place where you can sense the beach and the wind. It is a zone where those Strandbeest who became extinct during the course of evolution stay. A bed of white sand has been installed on one side of the exhibition space, displayed alongside seashells, driftwood, and flora from the beaches of Scheveningen. Life is a zone where visitors learn about the process of making Strandbeest, and where children blow life into Strandbeest through straws(plastic tubes). And finally, Forest is a zone where you can watch the Strandbeest move, with the forest of the Ueno Hills in the background. Pinecones, tree branches, and bamboo have been carried in from the forests of Oita, and the Strandbeesten begin their journey to the forests of Ueno.
Horizon – Landscape Connecting the Sea to the Forest – We drew a line, about eye-level, on the wall. The line appears in the space in various forms; at times as text, at times as the outline of a landscape, and at times as the level of water. The line presents many kinds of information, including information on the Strandbeest, the wind and forest, and the nature of Oita and the Netherlands. It indicates the horizon of Beppu Bay that would otherwise be visible from this location, and hints at the horizon of the Netherlands, connecting even further beyond… Through the Strandbeest, we invite the viewer to feel the connection between life and nature.
Exhibition Information
Total direction – EARTHSCAPE
Exhibition title – Theo Jansen Exhibition
Place – Oita Art Museum / Japan
Data – July 9 – September 30, 2011
