Renowned British artist Jason Bruges has unveiled a ground-breaking robotic art installation in Tokyo to celebrate the Olympics – and we’re proud to have played a role in supporting the project.
London-based Jason Bruges is famous for interactive displays that blend art, architecture and technology – making use of industrial equipment, music and light displays.
Titled ‘The Constant Gardeners’, the Tokyo installation is in Ueno Park in the heart of Tokyo’s cultural district. Featuring robots raking a Zen gravel garden – mimicking the patterns created by athletes in action – it’s the artist’s most ambitious project to-date and his first in Japan.
Our Tokyo team supported Jason Bruges by helping to raise awareness of the project in Japan and making introductions to potential sponsors, drawing on our close connections in the Japanese tech sector.
Left to right: Erlend Styve from our Tokyo office, Jason Bruges & colleague Adam Wadey, our Paul Mori
The Constant Gardeners is part of the Tokyo Tokyo Festival, running alongside the Olympics and Paralympics to bring together art, music, theatre and dance from across the world. It was commissioned by The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Arts Council Tokyo, with special support from the British Council.
Jason Bruges explains: “The artwork draws inspiration from the traditional Zen garden and from sportspeople who perfect their movements to excel in their fields. It uses industrial robots, reclaimed from a lifetime of working in factory foundries, to reflect on the role of machines in our daily lives and suggest a new narrative around robotics, highlighting their potential for experimental creativity.
“Intralink were highly supportive in the early stages of the project, connecting us with the right people on the ground. They have an incredible network in Japan, quickly understood what we wanted to achieve and helped us communicate our ambition to potential partners.”
We're so pleased to have had the chance to work with Jason Bruges and his team on this project and to see it unveiled in Tokyo, where it will remain on show until 5 September.
