Anish Kapoor Ark Nova Project For Japan

Arc Nova

Anish Kapoor the Turner prize winning Sculptor along with architect Arata Isozaki have been commissioned to design a pop up concert hall to reintroduce music and arts to the regions of Japan hardest hit by March’s earthquake and tsunami. The concert hall will seat up to 700 concertgoers and will be constructed as a “pneumatic structure” so that it can be inflated quickly with air. The structure was originally Commissioned by Switzerland’s Lucerne festival and  will be built using a “pneumatic structure” made of an elastic material that can be erected quickly by inflating it with air. The hall will be constructed in pieces which are “segmented” so that when the structure is dismantled each section can be folded and “transported by truck and delivered to each region”.

A programme of events  scheduled to begin in spring next year will be announced in the new year.Ark Nova  is a project to honour  Higashi Nihon the area struck by the earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011 Michael Haefliger, executive director of the Lucerne festival stated, “It’s obvious that we can’t undo all the terrible pain and suffering” but through music and art we want to give the people in the region new hope and promise.”The concert hall will btravel to various locations in the hard hit  region. The programme will include classical music, jazz, dance and multimedia projects. Events will be funded by sponsors and patrons so that tickets will be free for local people. Artistic projects from around the world will be invited to, participate in the project which is sponsored by the Swiss bank UBS additional supporters for each performance are still needed so that attendance can be free. 

The devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Higashi Nihon in the Tohuku region of northern Japan on 11 March 2011 prompting large-scale national as well as international aid has enabled much to be accomplished in the way of reconstruction efforts, which are now in full swing. Even so, the people of the region are continuing to suffer from the consequences of the catastrophe – direct and indirect – and to grieve for family and friends. The project that we have named ARK NOVA – A Tribute to Higashi Nihon aims to bring the people of this region renewed hope and to restore their confidence through music and art.

Arata Isozaki is one of the most sought-after architects in the world today he will be directing the creation of the mobile concert hall that can be transported to various locations within the devastated region. The multi-part construction will consist of a flexible material that can allow for rapid assembly and dismantling. For this project, Arata Isozaki will collaborate closely with the British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor. The latter will be responsible for the design of the building envelope. Yasuhisa Toyota of Nagata Acoustics is responsible for the acoustic design of the hall, and David Staples of Theatre Projects London will act as a consultant for the décor.

The hall, which will be called ARK NOVA, will offer a unique platform for performances and presentations in the areas of music, dance, as well as for multimedia and other interdisciplinary art projects by leading artists and ensembles from around the world. An artistic committee made up of distinguished figures will assist in designing the programs. The events are expected to be completely funded by sponsors and patrons so that the region’s populace will have free access to all performances.

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