Instead of contrasting the natural with the man-made as would be quite common in the European cultural area, Tetsuo Kondo attempted the opposite: to do away with borders between the existing (nature) and the added architecture. Architects often shape a building to fit the existing trees but Kondo, as he said himself, wanted to go even further, to achieve an elegant whole of nature and architecture. This was the aspect that made the installation experimental for him. 'We cannot change the form of the forest but we think the various elements in a forest can become one entity in this condition. I hope that we can experience a forest, architecture, and an environment which we do not know yet,' he wrote.
This work was site-specific by how the author read the place and took in its character and atmosphere. Estonians have a very strong mental connection with the forest and strangely enough, many of us have dreamt, in our childhood, about a path winding between the trees and making the walker feel as if he were floating. Hence Kondo managed to capture something quite characteristic of Estonians, and it would be impossible to imagine a warmer welcome than that received from the visitors of his installation.
On a wider scale, LIFT11 was aimed at breaking down prejudice towards contemporary art in public space and drawing attention to the ample array of opportunities for using the cityscape and urban fabric. During the four weeks of its existence, 'A Path In The Forest' enjoyed widespread media coverage and was visited by more than 30,000 people, the positive feedback indicating that the objective was truly fulfilled. Not least importantly, this was assisted by the fact that Estonians take a particular interest in Japanese culture. There were even articles in favour of having such an installation in Kadriorg permanently.
Like other works of LIFT11, 'A Path In The Forest' brought the audience to where one does not usually happen to be: to a walk above the ground in the midst of the trees, looking at the park and the surroundings from another angle. The installation was ready in the autumn, inviting people to perceive how nature was changing, how the trees were changing colour and eventually dropped their leaves altogether. Walking this white path was like reading a modern Japanese novel. We were asked to join in a curious and extraordinary journey, where the atmosphere was recognisably familiar and at the same time fascinatingly strange, making the border between a dream and wakefulness disappear.
Portrait by Maiken Staak
◎The 19th EU-Japan Fest Program: Urban Installations Festival LIFT11: Architecture by Tetsuo Kondo, Tomomi Hayashi
