An artist who has brought plants to places they have never been, including outer-space – is continuing his paludarium series.
Azuma Makoto, a Japanese flower artist, is presenting his 5th Paludarium, named “Paludarium YASUTOSHI” which has been taking place in StandBy, Tokyo, Japan since December 12th, 2020 – until tomorrow January 5th 2021.
According Broached Commisions, the floral arts of Japan made a huge impact on the Western world during the Meiji Restoration. During an interview of his third Paludarium exhibitions with Observer in Chamber Gallery in 2015, Makoto said: “In 19th-century England, a small, glass-enclosed conservatory called a “paludarium” was invented to house and protect exotic plants after they traveled from far off places, having been extracted from their natural habitats. When placed inside this protective glass container, the plant thrives in an environment that emulates its natural habitat, yet it becomes a spectacle of displacement having been taken from its place of native origin.”
As explained in Makoto’s official website, Paludarium YASUTOSHI is a glass box fully equipped with a mist machine as if wrapping plants in a fog from both sides and drip feed-water system which can be activated depending on the situation in order to maintain the condition of a plant and control the temperature and humidity inside. Also the cylindrical shape can fully capture the natural light by 365° angles from glasses, and it can correspond to plant growth by having the series’ largest scale of height. Fans on the ceiling play a role of wind, and a plant can listen music from the waterproofed speakers. The machine takes in essential elements – rain, wind, light and sound.
The previous paludariums created by Azuma Makoto are:…
Paludarium TACHIKO on November 1, 2019 in AMKK. The machine is fully equipped with a drip feed-water system and a mist machine in order to maintain the normal condition of a plant and control the temperature and humidity inside the glass. The plant can naturally catch the light from all sides and people can carefully observe the details of the plant. Fans on the side glasses play a role of wind, and a plant listen music from the
waterproofed speakers.
Paludarium OSAMU on 2015 in Chamber Gallery in Chelsea district, New York. In the gallery, in human nature section, installed a striking work by Mr. Makoto, a gleaming steel vitrine containing a bonsai tree, connected to an aquarium. The tree, to massively oversimplify, provides oxygen to the fish as their filtered water feeds the plant. The exhibition space founded by Juan Garcia Mosqueda inaugurates an exhibition that investigates the relationship between man and nature with many artists.
Paludarium OSAMU in Chamber Gallery in Chelsea district – as appeared in Observe article by Alexandra Peers: “Cult Artist/Designer Builds a Shiny Ecosystem in Chelsea” – Image by OBSERVER
Paludarium SHIGELU on March 21, 2013 in AMKK. A biosphere for a plant that beautifully and intentionally creates a tension between the protective technology and the solitary plant. The machine provides air, light and water to the plant but in doing so cuts the plant off from the nature to which it belongs.
Paludarium SUGURU on October 24, 2012 in AMKK. A new botanical environment. According to a blog of Ufoshemo, the device is an encapsulated environmental experiment system for a plant. Its system aims to keep and cultivate a plant regardless of regions, countries or installed locations. Once a plant is set inside the device, it maintains the inside space at a fixed condition by thoroughly controlling the indispensable elements for a plant such as temperature, humidity and light. Also, with fully equipped water circulation and filtering system, it is able to supply purified water at all the time.
For more information about Azuma Makoto/ AMKK: Website azumamakoto.com – Facebook Azuma Makoto – Twitter @azumamakoto – Tumblr azuma-makoto.tumblr.com – Youtube Azuma Makoto Kaju Kenkyusho – Instagram @azumamakoto.
Source: Standby Instagram Page — Azuma Makoto Official Website — Artist Azuma Makoto Creates Futuristic Ecosphere for Bonsai Tree — Azuma Makoto, flower artist — Azuma Makoto, Paludarium Shigelu — Chamber Gallery showcases Azuma Makoto Installation — Art by the artist Perrier-Jouët: The artist.
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