One sunny day in April, I went to Shinjuku on an errand. There was something I wanted to print right away on the go, and when I was looking for Kinko’s, I happened to find art in the shape of the word “LOVE”.
If you search for public art in Tokyo, “LOVE” almost always comes up,
I just wondered “Where in Tokyo is it?” and I never looked into the place, and I didn’t know that it was in Shinjuku, where I often go out. Located near Island Tower right next to Nishi-Shinjuku Station, “LOVE” has a bright red presence, but it is old and fits well with the city lined with skyscrapers. When I saw the photo, I remember thinking, “Does it look good in a Japan city?”, but there was no mismatch in the real thing. And pop and cute.
Love (sculpture): Love is a sculpture created by American artist Robert Indiana. It consists of an upper “LO” with an “O” tilted to the right and a lower “VE”.
Citation source：Love (彫刻) – Wikipedia
There is a clock tower in the Island tower, and the clock is also so beautiful that it fascinates me.
While wandering around further in search of Kinko’s, I found art that seemed to be imitating a weather vane. Good with color, nice interesting with shape! (When I looked it up, I found that it was not a weather vane, but a work called Tokyo Brushstoroke I and II, which imitates the movement of the brush when drawing and the aftermath of the brush.) The way the brush stretches up to the sky gives me a sense of freedom.)
It wasn’t just the art that impressed me.
In skyscrapers and on the side of the road, spring flowers are blooming comfortably in the wind. There were also small honeydew-like fruits. I have the impression that it is a city with art, nature, and good maintenance.
In the middle of Tokyo, buildings are lined up in a deserted landscape with exhaust gases? ―No, not really. There are quite a few spots in Tokyo where you can feel the richness of nature.
There is a lot of art around Nishi-Shinjuku! I felt as if I had made a big discovery by myself, but when I looked it up, I found out that the area around Island Tower was developed by the “Shinjuku Island Public Art Project” with the help of 10 artists and many other people.
Those who know will have known for a long time, but I didn’t. I’ve been to Shinjuku many times, but I didn’t think there was such a place… And it makes sense that such a harmonious space would not be possible without a plan.
The Island Tower website has easy-to-understand explanations and locations for art, so if you are interested, I recommend checking it out.
アート案内 | 新宿アイランドit’s (shinjuku-i-land.jp)
When I have time, I will go looking for art that I couldn’t find that day.
