i made it to the island by ferry, as i was saying i`d try. a tiny bus took us on a narrow winding road along the coast. after one turn, i could see it in the valley, just like i’d first seen it on the internet.
opened in september 2010, the teshima art museum is not exactly a museum. the complex includes a couple of white pods modeled to resemble water droplets. the concept is the collaboration of half of sanaa, architect ryue nishizawa and of artist rei naito.
you buy a ticket and start on the route: a pristine concrete path surrounding mount myojin. after a short walk, you see the main pod, but, right before entering, you are asked to remove your shoes and put on slippers (this is japan after all) and to put all your picture taking gadgets into a transparent plastic bag and not use them. also, the assistant asked us to speak in a low voice as the art is nervous (i admit i first put that on his limited english but then i understood…)
i entered the pod. at first, you see absolutely nothing. a capsule made of fine white concrete. two holes allow the outside in. there’s some water on the floor. wtf? and then…the magic starts its work on you: the water travels. little droplets or even water worms hoover from point a to point b. and you start watching.
and, when you do, you start noticing that all that randomness is controlled. there are barely visible holes where the slightest amount of water is being pumped through. when the whole drop is there, it starts gliding on the water repellent surface. the floor is not flat. it’s more like a natural forest floor: irregular. but all the randomness is intentional: on the bottom of the “valleys” there are some white plastic “mushrooms” hiding draining holes. the little sound of the water going down the drain is only joined by birds flying and crickets cricketing. and this is no chance occurrence either: the pod is an extraordinary resonance box. the faintest step is multiplied. this is how a little cricket is audible so clearly inside.
all this simulacrum of nature is endearing and wonderful. i could spend my day watching the mesmerizing water worms and investigating the secrets of this place. it is amazing! i’m starting to imagine the intricate system below the floor and all the calculations that must have been put into this.
the point of this space is the art. the two are organically conjoined. i know i’m saying the same thing twice this week but let’s not forget, the architect is the same. these guys did not get the pritzker prize for nothing!
it turns i love surprises. with age, their number decreases. but the teshima art museum was one of this year’s miracles in my book!
credits: noboru morikawa
a romanian version of the post used to be available on the ginger group
8 comments
little-aesthete says:
Mar 29, 2011
i only used one picture as i understand their reasoning: one needs to be there to get it.
there were two articles (by the same person) in domus and designboom where the writer says the water gathers naturally and moves because of the wind. unfortunately, he missed the entire point…also, he says that the artist’s contribution is nothing. it’s nothing because he managed to miss it…the water piece is by rei naito and is called matrix
andreea says:
Mar 29, 2011
wow. I wish I could have been there too. I cited Raymund Ryan because it was the only so-called reliable source I could find. but now I’d cite you if I could do it again :)
little-aesthete says:
Mar 29, 2011
thnx :)
you can always re-do the post :)
andreea says:
Mar 30, 2011
i can’t seem to find the time. maybe you have noticed but there has been 0 activity on my blog for two months now – that’s when I got a job.
but hopefully it won’t be very long until I am back on track studying for my final paper so there should be an opportunity to set the record straight for Teshima.
little-aesthete says:
Mar 30, 2011
sounds great :)
UNSEEN – A FAIR OF FIRST TIMES, IN AMSTERDAM « little-aesthete's Blog says:
Oct 1, 2012
[…] the 19th – 23rd of september. i met andreea online and we bonded over a shared interest: the teshima art museum. she is currently doing a visual arts, media and architecture ma in amsterdam, at the vrije […]
IL VENTO IS THE COOLEST CAFE - little aesthete's blog says:
Jun 17, 2013
[…] they include il vento as well as the meta museum that brought me to the island in the first place: teshima art museum. click here to check it. and click here for a map/guide to the […]
TRIP PLANNING IS A BITCH | little aesthete's blog says:
Oct 20, 2013
[…] on the list, two more islands: naoshima and teshima. each had high profile architects design buildings destined for art purposes. and the guggenheim […]