Architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects has unveiled its latest installation, Ephemeral Bubble, at the 2024 Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale. The structure, integrated into a century-old house in the Murono Village, engages in a dialogue with the ancient Japanese countryside, resembling a bubble gently blown from the traditional wooden structure.
This design offers a temporary, flexible space that mimics the lightness and translucence of breathing air. The biomorphic design draws inspiration from nature, featuring fluid and soft shapes in its form. MAD Architects‘ concept introduces a playful and interactive space, making the installation ideal for emotive and spiritual exploration.
Inside, the space feels expansive and undefined, suitable for performances, ceremonies, gatherings, and other events. The installation reflects the surrounding greenery and colors within its white interior, creating an atmosphere of soft light. Ephemeral Bubble brings new life into the ancient building, creating a fusion of virtual and tangible elements, combining the old and the new.
MAD concludes that the deliberate ‘de-symbolization’ of the Ephemeral Bubble infuses new cultural vitality into the traditional village. The century-old house, now known as the China House Huayuan, continues to be a vital link between Chinese and Japanese artistic communities at the 2024 edition of the Echigo-Tsumari Art Field.
The Echigo-Tsumari Art Festival in Japan, which commenced in 2000 and takes place triennially, is recognized as the largest global outdoor art festival. Over the years, the festival has attracted close to a thousand artists from more than 100 countries and regions to produce art for the showcase. A majority of these artists attend the exhibition location and engage in the creative process firsthand. With over 230 permanent installations established during the festival’s 25-year history, the artworks are dispersed across Echigo-Tsumari, leading to the festival being dubbed as ‘an open-air art museum.’