In Japan, there is a culture that respects the ground, and the ground is often compared to a mother. Starting from this, design firm Hajime Yoshida Architecture and Yoshihiro Mikami created a piece that changes the way we see the earth. The land art piece, dubbed ‘I was born’, was created for Rokko Meets Art 2019 festival in Rokkosan, Japan.
The artists cut a hole in the ground and covered it in a bold red. The installation sits in a dirt courtyard, contrasting strikingly against its surroundings. The artwork seems a small wound in the ground, parting lips, or an accidental cut to the earth.
“By digging a hole in the ground and giving people a different perspective, we are strongly aware of the existence of the earth, and at the same time, “others” see “I” who is experiencing art as an extraordinary look in the ordinary landscape,” the artists says. “It is an art space that connects the relationship between the earth and people.”