Enoura Observatory as a ‘Total Work of Art’
Hiroshi Sugimoto has continuously expanded his field of activity into sculpture, stage design, and architecture. Enoura Observatory is the culmination of more than two decades of his practice. This book showcases this integrated project, which merges art and architecture by uniting Japanese traditions, from antiquity to the present, through his unique vision, all captured through powerful photography.
Enoura Observatory is a cultural and artistic facility where visitors can experience the changing seasons within the exceptional landscape of the Enoura area in Odawara City. Conceived and designed by the contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto himself, the facility—comprising a gallery, an outdoor stage, and a tea house—was envisioned as “a place to return to the origins of humanity and art.”
The 100-metre-long gallery displays some of Sugimoto’s major works, while the outdoor stone stage and the optical glass stage host diverse artistic programmes against the backdrop of the seasons and nature. It has earned high praise both domestically and internationally as a hub for cultural and artistic dissemination.
The photographs included in this book convey the charm of Enoura Observatory as a total work of art in it’s entirety, vividly bringing Sugimoto’s poetic worldview to life.
The Mission of Odawara Art Foundation: Rethinking the Origins of Art
Born in Tokyo in 1948, Sugimoto moved to the United States in 1970 and has been based in New York since 1974. His fields of activity are diverse, including photography, architecture, landscape architecture, sculpture, writing, collecting antique art, stage design, calligraphy, ceramics, and cooking, establishing his position in the global art scene. His art addresses the theme of the transience of history and existence, seeking to bridge concepts between the West and the East using the knowledge of empiricism and metaphysics. His work explores themes such as the nature of time, human perception, and the origin of consciousness. His pieces are held in major museums worldwide, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY) and the Centre Pompidou (Paris).
Meanwhile, Odawara Art Foundation, founded by Sugimoto, is an organisation dedicated to the production and performance of a wide range of stage arts, from classical Noh to contemporary theatre, the preservation and exhibition of artworks, and continued research into art spanning from prehistory to the present day. Sugimoto believes that precisely because the development of science and technology has reduced the sense of the ‘inexplicable’ in the modern era, it is necessary to return to the original starting point of art and question where human consciousness should be headed.
This book serves as an invaluable resource for understanding Enoura Observatory—a ‘theatre of time and nature’—which is the culmination of his long-standing exploration.
For Those Who Have Yet to Visit
Hiroshi Sugimoto: Enoura Observatory: Land of Distant Memory is a volume that multi-dimensionally introduces the philosophy, architecture, and landscape of Enoura Observatory, offering a key to understanding Sugimoto’s unparalleled artistic vision. It promises to deepen the experience for those who have visited the site and provide an entrance to its worldview for those who have not yet had the opportunity. It is a book we strongly recommend to anyone interested in art, architecture, and cultural research.
Hiroshi Sugimoto: Enoura Observatory
Page Count : 224 pages
Format : B5 modified, Hardcover, Full Colour
Published by: Odawara Art Foundation + MW Editions
General Enquiries
Odawara Art Foundation
Tel: 0465-42-9170 (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM / Closed on Wednesdays and other museum closure days)
Email: info@odawara-af.com
Official Website: https://www.odawara-af.com/en
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/culture/290329/
