Faou Foundation

Nearly two decades in the making. It’s a joy to see Mariko Mori’s Miyako Island home and studio, Yuputira House, on the cover of Architectural Digest.

After five years of observing the land in relationship to the sun and environment, and 3D modeling various forms and structures, Mariko partnered with Tokyo’s Ring Architects to build a house in harmony with the landscape.

Photos: Yoshihiro Makino
Writer: Thessaly La Force

https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/step-inside-mariko-moris-pearlescent-concrete-home/amp

"I was praying to express my gratitude for the completion of Sun Pillar, and this idea came to mind that I should extend the project to other parts of the world. I wanted to honour nature in the six habitable continents." – Mariko Mori on starting Faou Foundation, featured in Exceptional Alien.

Exceptional Alien interviewed Mariko Mori on her creativity, the lessons and insights she learns from traveling, bridging borders, memorable moments, and so much more. Read the full feature, including how and why Mariko started Faou Foundation: https://exceptionalalien.com/stories/the-essence-of-art-is-to-cross-cultures-borders-and-nations

Did you know: the installation of "Primal Rhythm" was done entirely without the use of any machinery to protect the coral and rock formations? It's , let's talk about marine life!

Though coral reefs cover only 0.2% of the seafloor, they support at least 25% of marine species and underpin the safety, coastal protection, well being, food and economic security of hundreds of millions of people. When installing "Sun Pillar" in August of 2011, we were committed to using only human power so as to not disturb the bay's delicate coral formations. Towering over the bay of Miyako Island at 13' 9", the artwork is a massive 2.9 tons of layered acrylic. With the help of local residents and a team of engineers, the artwork was set in place without the use of any machinery by cooperating with the ocean, wave and tidal conditions– a truly remarkable feat!

👋 Mariko Mori at her new, nearly finished home and studio, Yuputira House at Miyako Island.

After spending time on Miyako Island for the creation and installation of "Primal Rhythm," Mariko fell in love with the island and decided to design her very own home and studio there. This project is Mariko's first architectural project, and we're falling in love with each and every detail.

6 works. 6 continents. That's our goal!

We have been working steadily for 11 years to create a series of ambitious installations by Mariko Mori in unique ecological settings around the globe, each placed on one of the six habitable continents. Which installation are you most excited to see?

Sending our congratulations to Faou Foundation Advisory Board Member David Adjaye of Adjaye Associates , who recently shared a design for a supertall skyscraper in New York. The building will be the first skyscraper ever built by a team of Black architects, developers, lenders and builders in New York City's history.

The skyscraper has a series of cantilevers that give the building a dramatic form. The project will be the tallest tower by Adjaye Associates to date and the seond tallest building in Manhattan after One World Trade Center. Read more: https://www.dezeen.com/2021/10/20/adjaye-associates-proposal-supertall-new-york/

We had such a blast this summer in the city with the selected youth who participated in Summer in the City with Faou Foundation and SerCidadão.

This March and April, we invited 35 youth between the ages of 13-21 years old to explore 7 different cultural offerings of Rio de Janeiro over the course of 5 weeks. Each site visit focused on culture, environment and technology with the goal of promoting interaction of youth with Rio's cultural assets to support their personal, professional and social development. As part of the program, the group visited Mariko Mori's Ring: One with Nature at Cachoeira Véu da Noiva in Cunhambebe State Park in Rio de Janeiro State.

Summer in the City students take Ring: One with Nature 💚

This March and April, we teamed up with SerCidadão for the Summer in the City program, inviting 35 youth between the ages of 13-21 years old to explore 7 different cultural offerings of Rio de Janeiro over the course of 5 weeks. Each site visit focused on culture, environment and technology with the goal of promoting interaction of youth with Rio's cultural assets to support their personal, professional and social development. As part of the program, the group visited Mariko Mori's Ring: One with Nature at Cachoeira Véu da Noiva in Cunhambebe State Park in Rio de Janeiro State.

How do we define art? How can we expand access to it?

Miyako Island's Gaia Art Foundation hosted an Art and Design Workshop this year for 15 students over the age of 12. The two-day event offered workshops around design and pattern-making led by Shogo Toriyumi as well as discussions around the meaning of art. Artist spoke to the students of the workshop about her own artistic practice: https://youtu.be/9zPpvqPuW9s

宮古島市出身の大学院生によるワークショップ　本編 2022年3月主催者：NPO法人ガイアアート協会3月19日（土曜日）消しゴム版画で考える宮古島　講師：鳥海翔冴　とりうみしょうご（国立京都工芸繊維大学大学院デザイン学専攻）3月20日 　“Art or Not Art?” アートを考えるきっ.....

📍 Museu do Amanhã → Planetário → Cachoeira Véu da Noiva → Museu Histórico da Cidade

This March and April, we teamed up with SerCidadão for the Summer in the City program, inviting 35 youth between the ages of 13-21 years old to explore 7 different cultural offerings of Rio de Janeiro over the course of 5 weeks. Each site visit focused on culture, environment and technology with the goal of promoting interaction of youth with Rio's cultural assets to support their personal, professional and social development.

✨ Reminiscing on visitors to Ring: One with Nature over the past several years ✨

Ring: One with Nature is on permanent view to the public in Cunhambebe State Park in Muriqui, Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro State. The work sits atop a waterfall and takes on variety of colors with the changing light. Tap the link in our bio to learn more.

, , and

A day to celebrate Earth is a happy day indeed. Happy !

It is and always has been at the center of our mission at Faou Foundation to celebrate our natural world and create art that reveres its pristine surroundings. We hope you take a moment today to celebrate nature .

"I often find out the true meaning of a work after it is made. It is conceptualized, produced, and installed, but it may be after the process, even a few years later, when I learn more about the work that I created. I had a vision in 2015 and I have been working for five years to realize it, and it may even take another five years to complete it. When I conceive a vision, I like to treasure it in my mind, to nurture it well, and then deliver it at the right time. For the future, I hope to continue to imagine and realize these visions.” – Mori

Our work takes time, but we nurture our work well and deliver it at the right time 💚

Paint: ✅! Mariko Mori's home and studio, Yuputira House, on Miyakojima Island is getting closer and closer to completion every day.

Mariko Mori initially found Miyako Island using Google Maps. After spending time on the island for the creation and installation of "Primal Rhythm," Mariko fell in love with it and decided to design her very own home and studio there. This project is Mariko's first architectural project and is set to be finished by spring of 2022. In the meantime, we're falling in love with each and every detail that Mariko designs and watching her vision come to a reality as construction continues.

"Yes, it is a mission, and quite an ambitious one." –Mariko Mori on the mission of Faou Foundation to unite humanity through art.

Revisiting an interview with on .artinfocus on the mission of , , and the concept of oneness across nature and its inhabitants: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwbsjDvj-Rs

Mariko Mori | Ring; One With Nature Exclusive interview with acclaimed artist Mariko Mori. Mori talks about her latest installation "Ring: One with Nature" that celebrates the unity between eve...

Happy to all of incredible women who inspire us every day 💙

Our next project in Ethiopia will honor the root of humanity's shared family tree, which traces back to a 4.4 million-year-old early human-like female anthropoid from Africa named Ardi. Stay tuned to learn more and happy

"Each artwork honors nature in its unique ecological setting. I believe that art installations also help protect and preserve the environment around them by sharing awareness.” – Mariko Mori.

Today is , and we're celebrating by remembering the installation of "Sun Pillar." When we installed "Sun Pillar" in Miyako Island, we took great care to ensure that the installation would not disturb the delicate coral and rock formations of Seven Light Bay. The entire installation process was implemented using only human power. By cooperating with the ocean, wave, and tidal conditions, the artwork was set entirely in place without the use of any machinery—a truly remarkable feat. This is the kind of care with which we should tend to the wildlife that we encounter in our daily lives. How are you celebrating World ?

Happy birthday to our founder, Mariko Mori!

Wishing her a wonderful day filled with joy and a feeling of oneness with nature.

In a mountainous region in the heart of Ethiopia, eleven medieval monolithic churches were carved out of rock. This region later became a unique spiritual prayer site protected as one of the first UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This town, Lalibela, is just 352 km from Afar, the site from which humanity originated according to extensive fossil records discovered by paleoanthropologists. As we research sites for our next installation in Ethiopia, we are focusing on ways to honor the origin of our human lineage in the cradle of six million years of seamless human evolution. Follow along and stay updated by signing up for our newsletter: https://www.faoufoundation.org/contact

A picturesque rendering of Mariko Mori's future home and studio on Miyako Island. We can't wait to see the fully built studio soon– set to be complete this year near Faou Foundation's "Primal Rhythm."

Mariko Mori initially found Miyako Island using Google Maps. After spending time on the island for the creation and installation of "Primal Rhythm," Mariko fell in love with it and decided to design her very own home and studio there. This project is Mariko's first architectural project and is set to be finished by spring of 2022. In the meantime, we're falling in love with each and every detail that Mariko designs and watching her vision come to a reality as construction continues.

We've been traveling and researching with Mariko Mori in Ethiopia, the site of our next site-specific installation. 🔍

Faou Foundation selected Africa as our next site, and the third of our six-continent goal, to honor the origin of mankind on the continent. In image 1-3, Mariko Mori visits the UNESCO Headquarters Congo Building with Dr. Yumiko Yokozeki, former Director of the International Institute for Capacity Building in Africa. In Image 4, Mariko Mori meets with the former Minister of Culture and Tourism, H.E. Foziya Amin Aliyi. Stay tuned to learn more about our forthcoming project and follow along on .

This Friday, join artist Mariko Mori in conversation with Seiichi Kondo of Takumi Art du Japon and Tomoharu Inoue of Culture Vision Japan.

The group will be discussing ways to connect the world through art as it relates to Japanese tradition and technology via Zoom. The conversation will be in Japanese. Admission fee required, register by Wed, Jan 19 (Japan): https://www.takumi-artdujapon.jp

Friday, January 21, 2022
18:30- 20:00 (Japan standard time)
Zoom

2022TAKUMI・CVJ共催第4回対談イベント【ゲスト:森万里子さま】

一般社団法人「匠」（TAKUMI-Art du Japon）と一般財団法人カルチャー・ヴィジョ
ン・ジャパン（CVJ）共催による対談シリーズ「現代アートの匠たち～その魅力を探
る～」の第四回会合を下記にて行いますのでご案内致します。

（本対談シリーズは、「匠」が２０１８年以来毎月行ってきた対談（主として日本の
伝統文化や思想などをテーマとするもの）に加え、２０２１年１０月より新たにCVJ
との共催により始めたもので、現代アートの魅力を掘り下げてお伝えすることで、日
本の文化の幅の広さと奥行きの深さを感じて頂くことを目的とするものです）。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　記

対談ゲスト：森万里子さん（現代アーティスト）
森万里子さんは現在ニューヨークを拠点に活動をされており、国際的な評価を得てい
る現代アーティストの一人です。伝統的な日本文化や古代史を参照しながら、最新の
テクノロジーを用いて大規模なインスタレーション作品を世界中で発表されていま
す。
森さんには初期の作品からリオ2016年オリンピック・パラリンピックで制作した作品
等、最新のプロジェクトもご紹介いただきながらお話し頂く予定です。

略歴：
ニューヨーク在住。主な受賞歴に、1997年第47回ヴェネチア・ビエンナーレ優秀賞、
2014年ロンドン芸術大学より名誉フェロー授与。主な個展はロンドンのロイヤルアカ
デミー、ポンピドゥー・センター、東京都現代美術館、ブレゲンツ美術館、プラダ財
団などで開催。他にもイスタンブール、シドニー、上海、サンパウロ、シンガポール
などの主要なビエンナーレに出展。主な作品収蔵先は、ニューヨーク近代美術館、
グッゲンハイム美術館、ルイ・ヴィトン財団、公益財団法人福武財団など。

ホスト：近藤誠一（「匠」代表理事）
　　　　井上智治（カルチャー・ヴィジョン・ジャパン代表理事）
テーマ：「アートで世界をつなぐ~日本の伝統とテクノロジー~」
日　時：２０２２年１月２１日（金）１８：３０～２０：００
ツール：オンライン（Zoom）　　　　　
会費：一般４，０００円、「匠」会員２，０００円
　　　「匠」学生会員　　５００円

お申込み：
お申し込み方法①下記フォームに必要事項を入力の上、口座に参加会費を１月18日ま
でにお振込みください。
https://forms.gle/Fmbu4iY7Mbxj47JXA

お申し込み方法②このメールに返信する形で、お名前とZoomのURLをお送りするメー
ルアドレスを明記の上メールをお願いいたします。口座に参加会費を１月18日までに
お振込みください。

お振込先：お振込先：一般社団法人TAKUMI　Art du Japon（タクミアールデュジャポ
ン）
　　　　　　　三菱ＵＦＪ銀行　虎ノ門支店　普通預金口座　　０８７６９７８
＊お振込の際、大変お手数ではございますがお振込者のお名前の前に「04」とご入力
いただけますと大変助かります。

注：
（１）新規に匠の会員となることをご希望の方は、このメール添付の会員申込書のご
提出 もしくはhttps://www.takumi-artdujapon.jp/form.htmlに入会希望の旨ご連絡と、会費（個人会員・年５，０００円。１２月３１日まで有効）を参加費と同時にお振込み頂くことで、直ちに会員割引がご利用できます。

（２）＜オンライン配信につきまして＞
オンラインのURLにつきましては、前日18:00に1回、当日18:０0に1回お送りいたしま
す。もし、前日18:00にメールが届かない場合には、できるだけお早めに飯間
([email protected]もしくは090-9640-2024)までご連絡ください。万が一、配
信がうまくいかなかった場合には、後日のアーカイブ配信となります。ご了承の上、
お申し込みくださいますようお願い申し上げます。

主催：一般社団法人　TAKUMI-Art du Japon
　　　一般財団法人　カルチャー・ヴィジョン・ジャパン

*******************************************
一般社団法人　TAKUMI Art du Japon
事務局　飯間美幸
直通　090-9640-2024
〒105-0001　 東京都港区虎ノ門5-11-1
オランダヒルズ森タワーRoP1004号室
TEL：03-6318-5950
FAX：03-3431-1477
E-mail ：[email protected]
ホームページ：https://www.takumi-artdujapon.jp/
*******************************************

Faou Foundation would love to introduce you to our board member, Ms. Hasegawa. Ms. Hasegawa is a curator, museum director, writer, and a fervent supporter of Faou's mission and Mariko Mori.

In the past year alone, Ms. Hasegawa has directed the 2021 Thailand Bienniale with co-curators Tawatchai Somkong, Vipash Purichanont and Seiha Kurosawa; she has edited a book JAPANORAMA: New Vision on Art Since 1970, a book version of the catalogue for the Japanorama exhibition held at Centre Pompidou-Metz in 2017; and so much more. We're so honored to have Ms. Hasegawa on the board of Faou Foundation and are thrilled to introduce you all to her today.

Faou Foundation and Mariko Mori have been hard at work for the past couple of years on our forthcoming site-specific installation in Ethiopia.

In 1994, the skeleton of a 4.4 million-year-old early human-like female anthropoid was found by a team of researchers in Ethiopia. Faou Foundation has selected Africa as our next site–the third of our six-continent goal–to honor the origins of mankind on the continent.

Pictured here is artist with Professors Gen Suwa and Berhane Asfaw at the Centre for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage at the National Museum of Ethiopia. Meeting after meeting, site visit after site visit, little by little we are coming closer to envisioning how this project will take shape and honor the legacy of humankind. Stay tuned and follow along with to find out latest updates.

Happy New Year from Faou Foundation!

As we think about the year ahead, set our resolutions and intentions, and contemplate what changes may await us, here at Faou Foundation we're looking forward to furthering our mission to promote environmental preservation through the power of art. This year, we're hoping to make significant progress on our next installation in Ethiopia, strengthen our existing relationships and programs in Japan and Brazil, and so much more. What are some of your intentions for the year ahead?

#2022

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season from Mariko Mori's future home and studio on Miyako Island.

After spending time on Miyako Island for the creation and installation of "Primal Rhythm," Mariko fell in love with the island and decided to design her very own home and studio there. The project is Mariko's very first architectural project, and is set to be finished by spring of 2022. In the meantime, we're falling in love with each and every detail that Mariko designs 🤍

Dreaming of this staircase from Mariko Mori's future home and studio on Miyako Island.

After spending time on Miyako Island for the creation and installation of "Primal Rhythm," Mariko fell in love with the island and decided to design her very own home and studio there. The project is Mariko's very first architectural project, and is set to be finished by spring of 2022. In the meantime, we're falling in love with each and every detail that Mariko designs.

Faou Foundation is working to increase the public’s awareness of our planet’s natural resources, and to do so, we need your help this Giving Tuesday.

Your support furthers our efforts to provide some of the following to diverse communities around the world and more:
✏️ Education initiatives
🍽 Food relief
🗣 A forum for dialogue between art and nature
🔗 Uniting the world through art

Help us bring art into unique remote locations to protect their pristine natural environments for future generations. Find out how you can support Faou Foundation this Giving Tuesday: https://www.faoufoundation.org/oneness

Faou Foundation Support | A Foundation created by Mariko Mori — faou Coined by artist Mariko Mori, “faou” means “creative force.” This has been a driving factor for our work across the globe, sharing an “Ethos of Oneness” through passionate art projects that shine a light on local communities and their environments. This sense of “oneness” stems from ...