Forest of Numbers

2017Concepts - Plus · Architecture +ColorCultural

Year: 2017
Category: Concepts - Plus · Architecture +Color
Type: Cultural
Status: Built
Firm: emmanuelle moureaux INC.
Location: Tokyo, Japan

100 colors no.18 "Forest of Numbers" emmanuelle moureaux The National Art Center, Tokyo has celebrated its 10th Anniversary in January 2017. As a commemoration, it presented the museum activities of the past ten years in the Special Exhibition Gallery room, which was superimposed with a large installation "Forest of Numbers" - the symbolization of the next 10 years to come. Used without any partition walls for the first time, the 2000 square meter (21500 square feet) White Cube exhibition room became a canvas of the installation, filled with "100 colors", inspiration and emotion, which became the largest installation of Emmanuelle’s work.

The installation "Forest of Numbers" visualized the decade of the future from 2017 to 2026, created a sense of stillness across the large exhibition space. More than 60,000 pieces of suspended numeral figures from 0 to 9 were regularly aligned in three dimensional grids. A section was removed, created a path that cut through the installation, invited visitors to wonder inside the colorful forest filled with numbers. The installation was composed of 10 layers which is the representation of 10 years time.

Each layer employed 4 digits to express the relevant year such as 2, 0, 1, and 7 for 2017, which were randomly positioned on the grids. As part of Emmanuelle’s "100 colors" installation series, the layers of time were colored in 100 shades of colors, created a colorful time travel through the forest. Inside the colorful forest, two girls and one cat were lost inside, added playfulness to the installation. In concert with the installation, the compilation of exhibition posters from the last ten years filled the wall on the right, and the opposite wall across the room simply expressed the next ten years with white numbers.

Because photography was exceptionally allowed, the installation has spread through various social networks, increasing number of visitors. This installation was created with the cooperation of 300 volunteers, excited the attention of over 20,000 visitors in 10 days. About the "100 colors" series: "100 colors" is an installation series began in 2013, which forms space using 100 shades of colors. Emmanuelle wishes to give emotions through colors as she felt from seeing overflowing "colors" in Tokyo when she first visited in 1995.

She also wishes to give opportunities for people to see, touch and feel colors with their senses to become more conscious of colors that exist around them. In "100 colors", Colors are explored in various forms depending on the environment, to maximize the beauty of colors. 100 colors entering the body with a glance triggers a physical response to engage with the sensation of colors. The installation series will continue to travel around the world. "When I first arrived in Tokyo, I was fully fascinated by the colors overflowing on the street.

In that very moment, my mind decided to move to Japan. Overwhelming number of store signs, flying electrical cables, and flashes of blue sky framed by various volumes of buildings, created three dimensional 'layers' in the city. The flood of various colors pervaded the street built up a complex depth and intensity in the space. These indelible experiences of colors and layers in Tokyo were the inspiration and essence of my design concept of shikiri, which means dividing (creating) space with colors.

Valuing the emotion inspired from Tokyo, in the 10th anniversary year of my studio, I want to show the beauty of colors to the fullest extent. I also wish to share the feeling of being surrounded by overflowing colors by exhibiting 100 colors, here in the middle of Tokyo. Please come and find your favorite color. " emmanuelle moureaux (September, 2013)