This artwork is a pictorial guide to plants, and it lists the trees and shrubs that actually exist in Echigo-Tsumari.
60% percent of Echigo-Tsumari’s land is forests, and while there are old-growth forests like the Japanese beech, there are also second-growth forests like the surrounding maples. The artist gathered a diverse collection of trees from the forests, sculpted them, and then set them on fire to allow them to carbonize. He then placed the blackened sculptures back onto their respective trees.
In other words, the pedestals and sculptures are made of the same wood.
So what’s the relationship between these two items? Compared to the pedestals that display each tree’s characteristics, these blackened sculptures all look the same. The difference in shapes aside, it is clear that there is a homogenization of the sculptures.
A previously old-growth forest is deforested and burned at the hands of humans. The subsequent forest that grows in it its place is called a second-growth forest. An old-growth and second-growth forest may appear the same to the human eye, but how about the ecosystem? The forests of Echigo-Tsumari may also be on track to lose their diversity, or in other words it may be heading towards homogenization.
Could this be what the artist, Yamamoto, was pointing to?
Nevertheless, I hope that you would take your time to look at these sculptures as you stroll through Echigo-Tsumari’s forests.
And here, the art poses a question to you.
The deciduous broad-leaved forests, including Japanese beech that are located on the coasts of the Sea of Japan including Echigo-Tsumari, are known to be some of the world’s most developed forests. These forests create leaf mold through the shedding of leaves, and by amassing substantial volumes of water in the soil, which cultivates a thriving ecosystem.
The deciduous broad-leaved forests are also nurtured by the rain that comes from vapor of the Sea of Japan. This vapor is carried by seasonal winds from the continent, turns into rain clouds, collides with the mountain ranges in the background and results in heavy rainfall. Although that accounts for the natural disasters like floods and excessive snowfall which Echigo-Tsumari must endure, the snow and rain also enrich the soil contributing to presence of sansai (mountain vegetables) and delicious rice.
Although it’s a harsh environment for human beings, the land here thrives. And by accepting the conditions of the land, the people here experience more enriched lives. Many traces of the relationship between fertile soil and the villagers’ lifestyle still linger in Echigo-Tsumari in various forms. I encourage you to look out for those clues through your travel.