the falling garden::gerda steiner + jörg lenzlinger

 a beautiful concept to begin your week.....


 or make you ball your fists and purse your lips in jealousy. 

every aspect of this is absolute genius.








conceived and executed by Swiss artists gerda steiner and jörg lenzlinger, the falling garden was created for the 50th venice biennial in 2003. It was housed in the church of san stae on the grand canal.


visitors lie on a bed, above the doge's tomb, in the middle of the church and watch, as the garden thinks for them. the idea that modern day artists have collaborated with 17th century architects is staggeringly brilliant. The light, the angles...everything about the space is glorious even before the garden.





and with the installation,  the viewer becomes part of the art as it dances and dangles around them.



Components: Plastic berries (India), cow pads (Jura), waste paper (Venice), baobab seeds (Australia), beech, elder and magnolia branches (Uster), thorns (Almeria), nylon blossoms (one-dollar-shop), pigs’ teeth (Indonesia), seaweed (Seoul), orange peel (Migros shop), fertilizer crystals (home grown), pigeons’ bones (San Staë), silk buds (Stockholm), cattail (Ettiswil), cats’ tails (China), celery roots (Montreal), virility rind (Caribbean), wild bore quills (zoo), banana leaves (Murten), rubber snakes (Cincinnati)...

Comments

Ana Degenaar said…
I saw this and loved it immediately! So beautiful!
Unknown said…
This is stunning! Wish I could experience it in person. Thanks so much for sharing.
Jessica Turnbow said…
This is breathtaking! I wish this was a room in my house where I could read a book and have some coffee. Dreamy!
Come visit my blog, I am doing a painting giveaway and would love to have you enter!
http://bonjourfrenchie.blogspot.com/
WOW. One of the most beautiful installations I have ever seen. I wish there were museums with that amount of history and creativity in the walls here where I live. But I can certainly enjoy immensely from afar. Thank you for sharing. I am going to stay and stare awhile! xo Samantha
Marissa said…
Megan,

This is one of your long-lost babysitters here. I LOVE the Falling Garden, and frankly, have considered putting up a mini-version over my kitchen table.

Just wanted to let you know - in honor of the sub-zero temps we have in Boston right now - that I STILL have the leopard coat you gave me years ago. I'm holding it for safekeeping.


Warmly,

Marissa
Karena said…
Megan how amazing it is just gorgeous!! What an undertaking and installation.

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
Whoa. I've never seen anything like it. What an amazing installation.

-xoxo Noe
That is beyond cool! It's like a weird, but beautiful dream. I can't imagine having to leave, what else in your day could top that?!
Kitchengirl said…
This is absolutely beautiful! I am definitely inspired to add some color into my life- bit of a premature spring in San Francisco, but at least I can go for some pinks a little early :)
EFT for Cancer said…
This looks pretty and so lovely!
designchic said…
WOW - this is amazing...wish I could see it in person!!
Concrete Jungle said…
Wow..thanks for some out of the box inspiration!
LiveLikeYou said…
That's so bizarre and so perfectly beautiful!
Mesmerized...... Love it, I wandered off to a beautiful peaceful place, just where the brain needed, thank you :) Have a fantastic week filled with lots of love, light and laughter. xo
Open House LLC said…
Absolutely brilliant! And the visitors are all bare foot which is really cool as well.
This is beyond... no words! Like time was stopped and all these beautiful peices are left hovering around you. SUCH a beautiful installation. Thanks for sharing!

xo Jessica Rae
{lovely ugly design}
http://lovelyuglydesign.blogspot.com/
What a goegeous installation.......an infusion of springtime in the middle of winter! Amazing!
mary said…
I wish I could have experienced this creation in person. It is breath-taking and totally original.
72 and sunny said…
I'm glad you guys 'get it' This is what art is supposed to be about. A total experience for your senses. It's just brilliant if you can create it.

MARISSA!!!! please email me! I'd love to catch up on what you've been up to. I'm so happy that you found me.xo
Oh my goodness... I want to live within that art installation. It gives me chills just thinking about it. Thank you so much for sharing!

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