Spencer Finch installation opens at Fundació Mies van der Rohe
12 October 2018
New installation ‘Fifteen Stones (Ryōan-ji)’ by Spencer Finch opened at the Fundació Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona on September 27th as part of the foundation’s on-going Art Interventions series. The work is a reimagining of the celebrated Karesansui Zen rock garden of Kyoto’s Ryōan-ji temple,‘The Temple of the Dragon at Peace’. Compelled by what he describes as ‘the impossible desire to see oneself seeing’, Finch is best known for his work that explores the nature of light, colour and perception through a range of media including watercolour, drawing, photography and video.This work continues Finch's investigation into the connections of the outer world with inner thought. It comprises of fifteen locally sourced granite stones set into a surface of white gravel within the Pavilion’s pond, at almost identical dimensions to the original Ryōan-ji garden. They are arranged in such a way that it is impossible to view them all at once, regardless of the viewer’s position. Encouraging a meditation on the atmosphere of the Pavilion itself, 'Fifteen Stones' also aims to highlight comparisons between the Modernist architecture synonymous with the style of van der Rohe and traditionally held concepts of Zen Buddhism in Japanese culture. The installation is open until 21 October. Find more information on the Fundació Mies van der Rohe's website.
