https://mymodernmet.com/jason-decaires-taylor-ocean-gaia-japan/
"For the first time, artist Jason deCaires Taylor has brought his underwater
sculpture to Japan.
Ocean Gaia sits nearly 16.5 feet under the sea off the
island of Tokunoshima as a symbol of renewal and the link between humans and
the sea. As the first underwater sculpture in Japan, it serves not only as a
work of art but also as a catalyst for ecosystem rebirth.
With
Ocean Gaia, deCaires Taylor imagines the maternal force of the ocean
through the guise of the well-known Japanese model Kiko Mizuhara. Resting on a
surface that appears to be sand moved by the ocean tides, she cradles her
pregnant belly. Though the sculpture weighs over 45 tons, the artist has
managed to instill the piece with serenity and lightness.
The perforated edges of the sculpture provide new habitats for marine life,
allowing the artwork to become an integral part of the reef. The concept of
rebirth and the cyclical nature is important due to the very nature of the
sculpture’s location. Tokunoshima is known for both its high birth rate and
incredible number of centenarians. As of late, the area’s youth have left the
island in favor of city life, but this sculpture acts as a symbolic call to
younger generations, beckoning them back.
In using the piece as a gateway for culture, deCaires Taylor hopes to spark the
interest of the younger generation. “Drawing from the myth of Gaia, the
primordial mother, the work reflects on the ocean as origin and consciousness,
the source from which all life emerged,” says the artist in a statement. “It
speaks to interconnection and reverence, a reminder that the ocean is not apart
from us, but an entity on which we are entirely dependent.”"
Via Joyce Donahue.
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*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
