This exhibit took place last fall in Oslo, Norway. Artist Per Kristian Nygård’s work explores the possibilities of space. This grassy installation merges an organized architectural environment with the organic nature of landscapes. The large piece causes an intuitive and physical response to the experience of “entering a space where everything’s wrong but feels right,” said the artist. Read more here.
An early precedent for Nygard’s work has been on view in lower Manhattan since 1977. Walter De Maria’s New York Earth Room, on the second floor of 141 Wooster Street, contains 250 cubic yards of earth, covering 3.600 square feet of floor space, 22 inches deep. The sculpture weighs 280,000 lbs. Walking into the small space is a heady experience, as the scent will make you feel like you’ve entered a wet forest; the sight of such beautiful, pure earth in the midst of the city is surprisingly moving.
The New York Earth Room is currently closed for the summer and will reopen on September 9.
Find more about Walter De Maria here.
I think this would look so cool as a fantasy landscape. Can’t you imagine some colored spot lights illuminating some kind of tribal sculpture in the middle? The steep hills of the grass look enchanting to me. I’d love it if they put a fountain or some kind of water feature in here too.