Virtual Ecosystems Dissolve Boundaries Between Artwork and Viewer in teamLab’s Graffiti Nature

Walker Art Center to Present the Exhibition in Conjunction with the Reopening of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in Summer 2017

MINNEAPOLIS, March 28, 2017—In conjunction with the reopening of the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden in the summer of 2017, the Walker Art Center presents teamLab’s Graffiti Nature in the Medtronic Galley from May 20 – September 10. The installation provides visitors a participatory experience with a virtual ecosystem of exaggerated wildlife and plant forms as they physically alter, express themselves within, and ultimately become a part of the work.

teamLAB is a collection of artists and ultra-technologists based in Tokyo founded by Toshiyuki Inoko. The group has garnered international attention for their experimental projects that push the capabilities of interactive technologies to create compelling digital environments. Their installations, which often involve immersive digital projections, invite viewers to define and change their experiences through movement-based sensors, scanned drawings, and responsive technology.

Graffiti Nature invites visitors to scan and add their own drawn additions to images of reptiles, amphibians, insects, and other creatures that grow, consume one another, and disappear, creating a live ecosystem. As viewers pause to contemplate their surroundings, their stillness encourages the growth of flowers and plants. Through its need for active participation, Graffiti Nature dissolves the boundaries between artwork and viewer, ultimately heightening our awareness of the connections between people, images, and the environment.

Curator: Nisa Mackie

View Graffiti Nature in action here

About the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden Reconstruction and Cowles Pavilion Reconstruction Project

First created through the vision of late Walker director emeritus Martin Friedman nearly 30 years ago as a partnership between the Walker Art Center and Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden was the first major public/private urban sculpture park of its kind in the United States and has served as a model for such parks nationwide.

After nearly three decades and more than 9 million visitors, the Sculpture Garden’s infrastructure needed to be reconstructed in a sustainable manner to serve visitors now and for generations to come. Thanks to the support of citizens of Minnesota, the state legislature, and Governor Mark Dayton, the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board received $8.5 million in public bonding support to fund the reconstruction of the major cultural asset. In addition, the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization dedicated up to $1.5 million for innovate stormwater management systems in the project. The project launched in tandem with updates to the Walker’s campus, including a new plaza and entrance, an expanded front lobby, the destination restaurant Esker Grove, a more pedestrian-friendly Vineland Place, improved accessibility, and a landscaped and art-filled hillside. The reopening is scheduled for June 3, 2017 with a number of celebratory events.

The renovation plan allowed the Walker to build on the 40-plus artworks already located in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and on the Walker hillside. Favorite artworks will return along with the addition of 18 new pieces by artists from Minnesota and around the globe. Six commissioned works—by artists Nairy Baghramian (Iran), Frank Big Bear (US), Theaster Gates (US), Mark Manders (The Netherlands), Philippe Parreno (France), and Aaron Spangler (US)—will be joined by works from Tony Cragg, Sam Durant, Katharina Fritsch, Gary Hume, Robert Indiana, Kcho, Liz Larner, Sol LeWitt, Matthew Monahan, Eva Rothschild, Kiki Smith, and Monika Sosnowska.

GALLERY HOURS AND ADMISSION

$14 adults; $12 seniors (65+); $9 students (with ID)
Free to Walker members and children ages 18 and under.
Free with a paid event ticket within one week of performance or screening.
Free to all every Thursday evening (4–8 pm) and on the first Saturday of each month (11 am–6 pm).

Enjoy free gallery admission on Thursday nights from 4 to 8 pm.

Tuesday, Wednesday, 11 am–5 pm
Thursday, 11 am–9 pm
Friday, Saturday, 11 am–6 pm
Sunday, 11 am–5 pm
Closed Mondays