Transsolar+Tetsuo Kondo
Cloudscapes

Clouds will appear in the Sunken Garden of the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. Clouds float in the sky, changing shape daily, delighting the eye, filtering the sunlight and bringing rain. Clouds represent a visible stage in the water cycle, carrying the water, that is 'the source of life', from the oceans to the land. This project was born of the dream of a fantasy world, where people can touch the clouds, feel them directly and walk through them. The clouds, that appear and disappear in the sky, remain at a constant height in this exhibit, so as the viewers pass through, they can look down on them from above or turn to talk to the other people there. It contains hints of heaven, of a world consisting of an invisible network of clouds. To walk through the clouds, that is all there is to it, but we hope that you take this marvelous opportunity to enjoy the experience for yourself.

This work, 'Cloudscapes', was created jointly by Matthias Schuler (climate engineer) and Tetsuo Kondo(architect)for the 12th Venice Architecture Biennale in 2010, where it was experienced by approximately 370,000 people, and it has now been brought to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, as part of its 'Architectural Environments for Tomorrow' exhibition (Oct. 29, 2011 - Jan. 15, 2012). For this event, we are grateful to the solar cell module manufacturer, Canadian Solar Japan K.K., (the Japanese branch office of the Canadian Solar Inc., Ontario, Canada), for their cooperation in installing solar cell module on the site, allowing us to power the exhibit with solar energy and thereby contribute to the environment through eco-energy.




Cloudscapes
This is a system that regulates the air to produce three separate strata of differing pressures, temperatures and humidities, generating an artificial cloud that hovers approximately three meters off the ground. In this way, it is possible to create three different climates within the building, those of being under, in and on top of the clouds, and people who enter inside can climb the stairs to enjoy the novel sensation of walking on top of the clouds.



Exhibition Information

Period: December 24 (Sat), 2011 - March 22 (Thu), 2012
Closed on: Mondays, December 29 - January 1, January 16 - February 3, 2012
Hours: 10:00-18:00 (Tickets available until 17:30)
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Sunken Garden
Admission: ¥200 for high school students and over.
Also available with the exhibition or MOT collection ticket which is valid on the day.


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