azuma makoto suspends a palm tree in the middle of the desert

azuma makoto has created a botanical installation that stars in two music videos for an american rock band. in a vast, undisclosed landscape near los angeles, the japanese flower artist has rigged a palm tree to a construction crane, suspending it just above the musicians and their instruments. 

two music videos for algiers — a band hailing from atlanta, georgia — feature makoto’s hovering palm tree. carefully hauled by truck to the isolated, arid setting, the tropical species has been meticulously suspended by a giant truck mounted crane above the landscape. the plant’s roots hang at the center of the instruments’ arrangement and just above the musicians’ heads, interacting with them at various points throughout the videos. the juxtaposition between the tropical plant and its barren surroundings forms a surreal scene, coupled by the addition of a large piece of machinery on set. following the shoot, the tree was returned to a nursery for its continued growth and development. 

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