Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park Announces Exhibition by Renowned Contemporary Sculptor Masayuki Koorida
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (PRWEB) May 07, 2018 -- Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is honored to announce Masayuki Koorida: Beyond Existence. Opening on May 25, 2018, this exclusive exhibition showcases Koorida’s work with a wide range of materials. Celebrated for partially carved and polished boulders like Existence, permanently sited in The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden, Koorida has a broader repertoire that includes highly geometric pieces in a variety of materials and exquisite, large-scale drawings. This exhibition runs through August 19, 2018 and will display all aspects of his work.
In the last decade, Koorida has emerged as one of the most elegant voices in Contemporary sculpture. Although he has exhibited in China, Japan and across Europe, this exhibition is among his first in the United States. Works at a variety of scale and in a variety of materials will be featured in all the sculpture galleries. Of special significance are a series of large, never before seen drawings created specifically for this exhibition.
"Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park is the first sculpture park that has collected my work in the United States," states Koorida. "Since the first time that I visited for the project in 2013, I have been to Meijer Gardens several times. I always find something new to discover; including great sculptures, exhibitions, beautiful flowers and gardens. I feel that the park is loved by people very much. It has been a great honor to be part of the collection. I am very glad to hold this solo exhibition at Meijer Gardens in 2018, it is exciting to have people experience it.”
“We are honored to be exhibiting the work of Masayuki Koorida. As one of his first gallery presentations in the United States, his repertoire will reach and inform a broad audience,” said Joseph Antenucci Becherer, Chief Curator and Vice President of Meijer Gardens. “Our relationship with Koorida is very important to Meijer Gardens and dates to the commission of his acclaimed piece Existence in our Japanese garden. His use of materials and form is both elegant and contemplative.”
Exhibition Programming
• Between a Rock and a Hard Place: When is a Stone Just a Stone and When is it Art?
Sunday, June 3, 2–3 pm
Fee: Included with Admission
Dr. Craig Hanson
Sculpture or structure? Artform or accident? Decorative art or garden decor? For millennia, stone has been used for decidedly unartistic purposes as well as the material of choice for many sculptors. This lecture explores how stone takes on new meaning as an art form while highlighting Existence by Masayuki Koorida, located in The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden.
• Japanese Garden Sculpture Walk
Sunday, July 15, 2 pm, OR Tuesday, August 7 at 6 pm
Fee: Included with Admission
Anna Wolff, Curator of Arts Education
Join us on a walking tour of the sculpture in The Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden. See what makes this garden one of the most unique in the nation as we explore themes of tranquility, permanence and the relationship of humanity and the natural environment.
Meet at the Main Gate of the Japanese garden. Limited to 25 guests. Expect to stand and walk for 90 minutes. We recommend you see the exhibition Masayuki Koorida: Beyond Existence prior to taking the walking tour.
Exhibition programs are drop-in style and registration is not required. If you have questions, please direct them to Anna Wolff at 616-974-5225 or awolff(at)meijergardens(dot)org
Masayuki Koorida: Beyond Existence is made possible by:
The Meijer Foundation
Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Foundation
Botanic and Sculpture Societies of Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
The Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.
CONTACT: John VanderHaagen | Public Relations Manager | 616-975-3155 | jvanderhaagen(at)meijergardens(dot)org
Images available HERE http://bit.ly/FMGKoorida
About Masayuki Koorida
Masayuki Koorida (b. 1960, Kyoto, Japan) is a major talent and dedicated figure in Contemporary sculpture. Koorida lives in and works from a studio in Shanghai, China. As a sculptor who works frequently in stone, the studio in China places him in close contact with abundant stone quarries in south China, but also allows him an opportunity to have a large industrial space for carving and polishing. From here, Koorida operates a very hands-on studio with few assistants. He is deeply and physically engaged with his work. He is most well known for his sculpture in stone that range in scale from table top to the monumental, single forms to small groups of related images. Koorida travels widely in search of the right stones for the right projects. Granite is preferred, but he also works in black and white marble.
About Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
One of the world’s most significant botanic and sculpture experiences, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park serves over 700,000 visitors annually and was recently listed in the top 30 most visited museum in the United States by The Art Newspaper. The 158-acre grounds feature Michigan’s largest tropical conservatory; one of the largest children’s gardens in the country; arid and Victorian gardens with bronze sculptures by Degas and Rodin; a carnivorous plant house; outdoor gardens; and a 1900-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring an eclectic mix of world-renowned musicians every summer. The internationally acclaimed Sculpture Park features a permanent collection including works by Rodin, Oldenburg, Ai Weiwei, Moore, Serra, Bourgeois and Plensa, among others. Indoor galleries host changing sculpture exhibitions with recent exhibitions by Ai Weiwei, Picasso, Degas, di Suvero, Borofsky, Calder and Dine. In June 2015, the 8–acre Richard & Helen DeVos Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened. Created by renowned designer Hoichi Kurisu, the garden features sculpture by Masayuki Koorida, Anish Kapoor, Zhang Huan and Guiseppe Penone, among others.
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John VanderHaagen, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, http://www.meijergardens.org, 616-975-3155, [email protected]
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