“A Japanese garden: topographies of the void”, in Casa Asia

Sculptor Esther Pizarro presents A Japanese garden: typographies of the void in Casa Àsia. The installation follows thousands of years of tradition in which the artist creates a replica of the Japanese landscape in allusion to the construction of cultural identity.

Occupying an area of 500 m2, Pizarro’s Japanese garden reproduces the topography of the country including its division into eight provinces which, in this instance, are represented by eight compartments. The artist has also added numerous informative elements, for example, the varied mossy colours represent population density while twenty bonsais represent the twenty cities with the highest population. All elements of the installation are markedly symbolic, with each plant and each colour having a specific significance. The piece is accompanied by an acoustic installation where the sensory impact is enhanced by the sounds of soft breezes and the cries of seabirds.

Japanese gardens are idyllic, stylised landscapes and have traditionally been a feature of private houses as well as public parks and temples. While the technique has its origins in China, the Japanese have adapted it for their own purposes and the aesthetic of these gardens has influenced architects of the stature of Tado Ando and Toyo Ito, among others.

The exhibition entitled A Japanese garden: typographies of the void can be seen from the 9th of July to the 2nd of November in Casa Àsia, in the Pabelló La Purissima of the Reciente Modernista de Sant Pau. Entry costs 10 euros and more information can be found here.