The Eurasian Garden Spirits is a site-specific installation by Marcel Wanders for the Oita Prefectural Art Museum, a building by Shigeru Ban that is due to open on April 24th, 2015. Inspired by the historical narrative of Dutch explorers arriving in Japan in the 16th century, this artwork symbolizes the cultural union and exchange between Holland and Japan. Placed five meters high, weigh root balloons, and gently move with the wind. Each balloon depicts a unique flower-patterned face. ‘The Eurasian Garden Spirits’ is a contemporary re-interpretation of vanitas, a 17th-century Dutch painting concept that gained worldwide renown. The subject of mortality is present in the faces, while the flowers remind us of nature’s cycle and the passage of time. Inflated with air, the balloons are both an homage to the free spirits of the original travelers brought back to life and Dutch ideas spreading throughout the world. The air and wind depict breathing to evoke liveliness, an “open-minded” attitude at the core of Dutch mentality, and a new reading of the colonial age as a two-way permeable cultural exchange.

Caption: The Eurasian Garden Spirits by Marcel Wanders for Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM), 2015

IMPORTANT! Please note:
It is not allowed to modify our images. For instance, crop them,
put icons on them, or remove elements from them.
Thank you for respecting this!