Takahiro Iwasaki to create Upside-Down Forest for Japan's 2017 Venice Biennale pavilion

Takahiro Iwasaki will represent Japan at the 2017 Venice Biennale with a new installation titled Upside-Down Forest. The Hiroshima-based sculptor creates intricate miniature replicas of temples and shrines through labor-intensive processes. His work for the Japanese pavilion draws inspiration from the structure's four pilotis—reinforcing pillars that support the building. Iwasaki stated he aims to create a multifaceted spatial experience by establishing different perspectives of looking upward and downward. He hopes viewers will become aware of fragility, the passage of time, and perceptual illusions through contrasting elements of artificial versus natural, order versus chaos, and history versus present. The artist's selection was reported by Artnews in July 2016. Iwasaki's practice focuses on detailed architectural miniatures that require extensive handwork. His installation will engage with the specific architectural features of the national pavilion in Venice.