japanese floral artist, azuma makoto, presents two experiments on decomposition at the ‘oi futuro’ museum in rio de janeiro, brazil. the project, opening alongside daniel arsham’s zen garden installation at the ‘oi futuro’, includes a cut flower garden on the exterior of the museum and a large installation of flowers in the interior gallery space. both elements study the decomposition of flowers at different scales.

azuma makoto oi futuro
the large scale installation was assembled in an open field outside the oi futuro museum

 

 

the cut flower garden, entitled ‘gaibu-outside’, decomposes in full view of the passerby on an open field. makoto envisioned the piece as a form of reverse agriculture as the flowers are planted ‘to die’. the symbolic work alludes to the buddhist contemplation of life and death, impermanence and material temporality.

azuma makoto oi futuro
the planted installation acts as a form of reverse agriculture

 

 

the interior element of the project, titled ‘naibu-inside’, is a large installation which allows one to follow the process of the flowers’ decomposition in detail, as they are enveloped in a large glass box. through both the cut garden and glass box, viewers can confront the death of the blooms at different scales and interactions.

azuma makoto oi futuro
the stunning composition slowly decays allowing passerby to observe the reverse lifecycle of the flowers

 

 

from the curator: ‘we learn from an early age to avoid seeing, touching and feeling the death and decomposition of any living being, and to let ourselves experience it is a rare opportunity for transcendence’. makoto’s past works have challenged the limits of nature through his floral creations, including experiments with flowers in space.

azuma makoto oi futuro
the colorful installation is open to public passerby

azuma makoto oi futuro
‘naibu-inside’, allows one to follow the process of the flowers’ decomposition in detail

azuma makoto oi futuro
makoto fills a large glass cube with colorful flowers

azuma makoto oi futuro
as the flowers decompose, the glass cube changes in appearance from the exterior

azuma makoto oi futuro
the mass of flowers slowly dissolves, revealing the death of the flowers

azuma makoto oi futuro
 the symbolic piece alludes to the buddhist contemplation of life and death