nendo drapes a kaleidoscopic 'ivy of mirrors' inside a japanese flower art school

at the sogetsu school for ‘ikebana’ — the japanese craft of flower art — nendo has draped a kaleidoscopic ‘ivy of mirrors’ across the institution’s vast exhibition venue. the sweeping installation of reflective elements is placed across a layered stone garden created by architect isamu noguchi for the school.

in order to highlight this unique space, nendo cut a thin, stainless steel sheet with a mirror finish into 2,000 rhombus-shaped pieces. each element was then individually overlaid across the stone garden, creating a reflective tableau that echoes the appearance of wildly growing ivy.

all images by takumi ota, unless otherwise stated

nendo has realized ‘kaleidoscopic ivy’ for the exhibition ‘hana so’ led by akane teshigahara, head of the sogetsu school of ikebana, to commemorate its 90th anniversary. the mirrored installation reflects the surrounding stone garden while also revealing subtle glimpses of its texture, form, and layered architectural configuration.

refractions of diffused colors and silhouettes of the exhibited ‘ikebana’ flowers and botanical arrangements produce a kaleidoscopic visual effect when entered and engaged with. the addition of this mirrored layer between the ikebana and the interior garden creates a harmonious interaction, seemingly intertwining the flowers within the vast stone space. 

image by kozo sekiya