Live Long and Die Out
Kanikazu Iwaguchi
Japan, 1957
vine, bricks
Mono no aware is a Japanese Buddhist term for 'the awareness of impermanence,' reflecting a gentle sadness about the passing of things. Greatly inspired by this concept, artist Kanikazu Iwaguchi reflects on the impermanence of our species in response to this year's climate change summit in Paris. Iwaguchi has tamed a vine to encompass a house, cascading a vibrant sea of green over the otherwise mundane brick structure. While many viewers find the vine a welcome and beautiful interference, it is actually corroding the brick and, if left uninterrupted, will cause the property's destruction.