Memento Mori: Sculptor Details The Beautiful Agony Of The Supernova

Gaining popular attention early in her career for pop culture informed aliens, cyborgs, and mermaids, for Rebirth, Japanese multimedia artist Mariko Mori’s first US exhibition in over 10 years, the creator has chosen instead to hightlight the sci-fi elements of the natural world. Above, Mori walks us through Rebirth at NYC’s Japan Society, and explains how the exhibit was inspired by the supernova, the cycles of life, and other real-life phenomena. Partially colored by the artist's study of Jōmon (c.14,000 – 300 BC), a pre-historic, shamanistic Japanese culture, the glowing stone formations and minimalist spirals of Mori’s Rebirth serving to conjure a sense of balance and harmony in visitors, who are also able to interact with many of the sculptures firsthand.

Both curiously foreign and hauntingly familiar, despite its creation through the use of various software and technologies, “Rebirth” first and foremost gets its inspiration from the natural world.

 “The relationship between nature and human being is something that in modern society we kind of lost” laments Mori when describing her process. “So I think that it’s important for Japanese people to share this kind of connection with nature…we need to be all connected…and the realization that we are [part of] nature.” This connectedness also extends to the cyber world and newer man-made forms of communication like instant messaging and social media. “We really rely on technology to communicate,” Mori explains with a smile. “Maybe we can develop our mind to be on the same level as the internet?”

      While we’re several years from a human/ internet hybrid, below we’ve compiled five other artists who also take their inspiration from natural mysteries,  fusing organic light phenomena with, in many cases, the neon:

1) Aurora Borealis 

For his 2012 collaboration with Karen O, production designer K.K. Barrett (also responsible for the aesthetics behind films by Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, and Sofia Coppola) used a pastiche of found natural images (like the aurora above), original art, and even dioramas, the artist made O's the Virgens come alive in all their spooky glory.

2) St.Elmo's Fire

Image courtesy of Commissions East

As part of a  2001 commission for Lowestoft’s Claremont and South Piers in the UK, artist David Ward was asked to create the above instllation entitled Saint Elmo’s Fire, a set of two identical assortments of twenty lights mounted at various heights along from both piers. Giving off the appearance of the St. Elmo's Fire natural phenomenon, the lights were illuminated at separate intervals, producing an eerie flicker effect. From the average beach-walker, the piers even appeared to be communicating telepathicly with each.

3) Bioluminescence 

For sculptor Miya Ando's 2012 installation Obon [Puerto Rico], the artist paid tribute to the island's natural bioluminiscent phenomenon, creating 1,000 "floating leaves" that appeared clear in daylight, but glowed at night. Obon [Puerto Rico]  was also inspired by the ancient Japanese festival of Obon, during which floating lanterns on rivers are believed to guide the spirits of the departed to the spirit world.

4) Rainbows

Your Rainbow Panorama by Olafur Eliasson, Arhus, Denmark

Image courtesy of Studio Olafur Eliasson 

Appearing on public display in 2011, Eliasson's work permanent installation provides a 360º view of the city of Arhus, Denmark, creating a viewing platform and continuously circular pathway on the roof of the ARoS Museum of Art. 150 meters in circumference, the transparent glass unit was created to act as "a visual compass for the city, its colors marking the physical location of each visitor."