luna ikuta exhibits aquarium installation of transparent botanical gardens

AFTERLIFE is an experimental installation by luna ikuta combining sculpture, digital media, chemistry, and botany exhibited at the transparent garden in los angeles, california. on display is a series of transformed natural worlds, frozen in time and captured in aquatic tanks. embalmed flora sway and arc gently with the flow, performing a calming dance.

all images courtesy of luna ikuta

each work by luna ikuta is a window into the liminal space between life and death – a lively botanical graveyard. the installation features a wide variety of plant species, many of which were foraged from urban and rural sources. each was made transparent using a special process developed by ikuta, revealing intricate vascular networks and structures invisible to our eyes. these delicate plant skeletons are then submerged and arranged into otherworldly landscapes.

from left to right: spirea villa, opal valley, siren cove

AFTERLIFE bridges the physical, digital, and online spaces by showcasing eight physical aquaria, each paired with a custom-built LCD screen preserved in video form as collectible art objects. the art inside the aquarium tank is ephemeral, lasting only six months in its current state. the LCD screens are custom built to fit the exact aspect ratio of each aquarium displayed below and capture the works as a 30-minute loop encrypted into the system.

from left to right: poppy peak, ammi hill

in addition, each video will exist as a limited 1/1 NFT, a digital artwork minted on the blockchain which can be displayed in the metaverse. this exhibition is held at the transparent garden in los angeles and is running from may 13 – june 13th by appointment only.

AFTERLIFE exhibition

ammil hill (2021) plants: anemone, jonquieres tulip, sweet alyssum, stinging nettle, thistle, narcissus material: black sand, black gravel

lunaria garden

opal valley detail

opal valley

phantom island

siren cove detail

spirea villa detail

spirea villa

project info:

name: AFTERLIFE exhibition

artist: luna ikuta

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: yasmina karam | designboom