toshihiko shibuya’s pushpin installation in japanese public garden emulates spore masses

following his ‘micro world of land art’ project that was exhibited in 2019, toshihiko shibuya has introduced his new site-specific installation ‘generation 8 symbiosis-coexistence’, settling within the ‘big tree’ open gallery in the manabe garden, japan. striving to create artworks that resonate with nature, the artist has installed about 9,000 colorful push pins onto tree trunks, in order to emulate signs of flourishing life. 

all images courtesy of toshihiko shibuya

the installation by toshihiko shibuya consists of about 9,000 individual tiny spherical pins, in pink, blue, orange, and black. the size and placement of the pieces were planned specifically in order to evoke images of spawning life. in other words, they were designed to be looked at as masses of eggs or spores deposited by fish, amphibians, mollusks, mushrooms, fungi, or slime molds. 

rethinking the relationship between the environment and human beings, in his work, shibuya tries not to control nature, but nestle close to it and use it cleverly. according to the artist, even when it comes to life-threatening bacteria, and viruses, they are still forms of life on the earth. ‘there’s nothing we can do to tame mother nature’ he says. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRF68jUyUeM&t=9s

project info:

name: generation 8 symbiosis-coexistence
artist: toshihiko shibuya
location: manabe garden, obihiro hokkaido, japan

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