Fujiko Nakaya’s Sculptures Honor Parks of Frederick Law Olmstead around Boston
“With Fog x FLO, Japanese artist Fujiko Nakaya responds to the landmarked waterways and landscapes designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (FLO). Nakaya’s “climate responsive,” shape-shifting, pure water forms invite visitors to immerse themselves in the art, experience nature anew, and appreciate the vital role of the Emerald Necklace in our city’s history, present, and future.” (quoted from Find Fog x FLO on Emerald Necklace Conservancy site)
“When the board members of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy asked Mergel (contemporary art curator Jen Mergel) to help mark the organization’s 20th anniversary with a public art exhibition, she immediately thought of the award-winning, Tokyo-based fog sculptor. Nakaya has created more than 80 installations in 16 countries, but never one in Boston.” (quoted from Andrea Shea’s report for the ARTery, WBUR)
The sources cited above and again under Key Resources below offer what you need to find and/or find out about the five distinct but related fog sculptures now in Boston until October 31, 2018. My photos from visits to three of those sculptures may hint at how much can change from moment to moment and at the truly moving drama of the art.
Fog x Canopy* (Back Bay Fens, near Museum of Fine Arts)
* will appear for 2 minutes on the hour and half hour from 8am to 7pm
“In the Fens, a fog canopy vaults softly over a curving pathway near the Muddy River. It settles over pedestrians, then cascades toward the water, or drops in damp fluffs along the bocce field.” (quoted from Cate McQuaid review for Boston Globe, 8/16/18) )
Fog x Island* (Olmstead Park, near Brookline Village)
*will appear for 3 minutes on the hour and half hour from 8am to 7pm
“Far from a clunky fog machine or cheesy water mister, Nakaya’s refined sculptural hardware consists of tiny nozzles that emit a fine vapor. Tubing is hidden as much as possible, and the larger machinery of pumps is placed far away from each work.” (quoted from Joshua Fischer art review for Wallpaper)
Fog x Beach* ( Jamaica Pond, near Pond Street)
* will appear for 2 minutes on the hour and half hour from 8am to 7pm
“In preparation for her works along the Emerald Necklace, Nakaya also sought out the Olmsted archives, housed at Fairsted in Brookline, where the designer lived and worked. She says she admires his desire to cultivate wilderness as much as forge pathways, evident in his original plans for the parks. In the same vein, Nakaya defines her fog sculptures as articulated nature. She designs the course, but nature has the last word.” (quoted from review by Cerys Wilson for Art New England)
My motivation to spread the word now is stronger than whatever might usually delay the timing of my posts.
Key Resources
“Mysterious And Magical: Fog Sculptures Are Rolling Through The Emerald Necklace” by Andrea Shea on The ARTery WBUR
Find Fog x FLO directions and maps for all five installations, Emerald Necklace Conservancy site
Fog x FLO: Fujiko Nakaya by Cerys Wilson, Art New England Online
Four art installations in Greater Boston you’ll want to see by Cate McQuaid Globe Correspondent, August 16, 2018
“Fujiko Nakaya’s fog sculptures animate Boston’s Emerald Necklace” review by Joshua Fischer for Wallpaper, August 20, 2018
Art Outdoors 