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Toranomon Hills Gets Its Own Public Art Piece
March 03, 2015
Jaume Plensa's Roots is destined to become a popular Tokyo landmark.
Constructed of stainless steel that has been painted white, it depicts a seated figure hugging its knees to its chest.
It turns out, these shapes are actually letters and characters of eight languages: Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Hindi, Japanese, and Russian.
Tokyo truly is a beautiful city. Perfectly manicured, sprawling green spaces; stately but unassuming temples and shrines; and cutting-edge architectural marvels provide something wonderful to look at everywhere you go. But one thing that some people may not realize is that the city is also home to a very large number of outdoor, public art pieces. These range from tiny stone statues all but hidden at the ends of train platforms and down narrow alleyways to giant, imposing structures that are impossible to miss. Since late last year, Toranomon Hills has been home to one very special piece that belongs in the latter category.
Just like Louise Bourgeois' bronze sculpture of a spider, Maman, is now an iconic symbol of Roppongi Hills, Jaume Plensa's Roots is destined to become a popular Tokyo landmark. Constructed of stainless steel that has been painted white, it depicts a seated figure hugging its knees to its chest. But the interesting thing about the piece is that it is not made of solid steel, but rather various curved lines and shapes that create an open, cage-like effect. It turns out, these shapes are actually letters and characters of eight languages: Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Hindi, Japanese, and Russian.
"The letters and characters individually symbolize memories and history of different people, but connecting them together creates new significance," said Mr. Plensa. "By celebrating both life and global community/harmony, I hope this work serves as a bridge to connect global people and cities through peace. Japan is a special country where traditions and advanced technologies coexist, which inspired me with the impression of new culture sprouting from `Roots' sunk in this fertile soil."
In addition to the soil of which Mr. Plensa speaks, Roots is surrounded by an open area of soft grass, green trees, and on a good day, a clear blue sky behind it. It makes a wonderful companion to rest and contemplation outside one of Tokyo's newest skyscrapers.
Kelly