toshihiro komatsu’s offering installation at echigo-tsumari art triennial

toshihiro komatsu’s offering installation at echigo-tsumari art triennial
all images courtesy of toshihiro komatsu

once every three years, the echigo-tsumari art triennial is held in the rural region of niigata, japan. the event took place this year, and included an installation by japanese architect/artist toshihiro komatsu. the piece, ‘offering’, is comprised of 3,000 individual glass jars, filled with snow-melt water collected at various sites in higashi karekimata, tokamachi city during the 2012 winter. all are installed at the site of ryuo shrine, home of water god ryuo, and are provided as an oblation. 

a child walks through the path of jars 

as sun shines through surrounding trees it creates a unique, always changing lighting environment 

over 3,000 jars were collected during the 2012 winter 

close up of entrance to the shrine 

the melted water contents are given as an offering to ryuo, the god of water 

detail of jars 

a path guides visitors to and from the installation 

each jar’s contents was collected by komatsu 

entrance offering 

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.