ryo yamada walks people towards a garden in the sky

ryo yamada walks people towards a garden in the sky
all images courtesy of ryo yamada

atop a sloping hill surrounded by the natural landscape of japan, ryo yamada has constructed ‘air garden’, a piece of art meant to symbolize a passage. within this context, yamada doesn’t intend to convey the typical meaning of the word defined as ‘a path connecting one point to another’ because it does not lead to a tangible destination, but hopes to create a metaphorical one based on an experience.

the installation is part of the sapporo international art festival 2014 exhibition titled ‘sprouting garden’. delving into depths of the brief, the origin of the word ‘garden’ refers to an enclosed or protected land. in historical times, they were built to protect the lord’s property and keep intruders from entering. after gathering all of this information, the artist has envisioned the piece to connect the people with a procession into the infinite openness of the sky. the main pathway at 0.6 meters is wide enough to allow only one person to walk. recycled wood is used for the truss construction elements to raise the platform 4.2 meters up into the air as the landscape moves downwards. ‘only air is equally available to people anywhere in the world, and I believe it is a symbol of equality without boundaries,’ said yamada.

recycled wood and plywood form the construction

the project provides a different view of the environment

a boy looking out over the treetops

children watching their classmate at the edge of the walkway

the path is wide enough to allow only one person to walk

yamada intends for the structure to be a symbol of equality and freedom

people can feel and taste the openness of the fresh air

visitors of all ages enjoy the experience

a boy and girl exploring the effects of the space

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.