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Site of Reversible Destiny
Take equal parts Merzbau and your choice of amusement park of the American roadside vernacular variety; add a dash of Gregor Schneider for some kick and a dollop of Teletubbyland; mix all that in a Target® Michael Graves bowl; throw in one or two Richard Serra toruses if you'd like.

And voila! Site of Reversible Destiny.

Site of Reversible Destiny


Designed by the artist Shusaku Arakawa and poet Madeline Gins and “[o]pened in October 1995, the Site of Reversible Destiny - Yoro Park is an 'experience park' conceived on the theme of encountering the unexpected. By guiding visitors through various unexpected experiences as they walk through its component areas, the Site offers them opportunities to rethink their physical and spiritual orientation to the world.” Can you train astronauts there?

Perhaps Virgin Galactic might require its future space tourists to log in a few hours at Yoro Park as part of their preparation in addition to visits to Baikonur. Or the now cash-strapped NASA substitute time on the centrifuge or on the vomit comet with an afternoon stroll at the Site of Reversible Destiny.

Site of Reversible Destiny


Site of Reversible Destiny


In any case, to get the most out of the park, be sure to follow the instructions, which read more like Zen koans.

Instead of being fearful of losing your balance, look forward to it (as a desirable re-ordering of the landing sites, formerly known as the senses).

Try to draw the sky down into the bowl of the field.

Use each of the five Japans to locate or to compose where you are.

If accidentally thrown completely off-balance, try to note the number, and also the type and the placement, of the landing sites essential to reconstituting a world.

Frequently swing around to look behind you.

If an area or a landing site catches your eye and attracts your interest to the same degree as the area through which you are actually moving, take it up on the spot, pursuing it as best you can as a parallel zone of activity.

Make use of the Exactitude Ridge to register each measured sequence of events that makes up the distance.

Within the Zone of the Clearest Confusion, always try to be more body and less person.

Wander through the ruin known as the Destiny House or the Landing Site Depot as though you were an extra-terrestrial.

In and about the Kinesthetic Pass, repeat every action two or three times, once in slow motion.


Meanwhile, check out more photos of the park by Liao Yusheng here. Jaunty angles, crazy scales, party colors, graphic landscaping.

Site of Reversible Destiny


Site of Reversible Destiny


15 COMMENTS —
  • Unknown
  • March 6, 2006 at 10:54:00 AM CST
  • They don't doing things by half in Japan! Now I really have to go.

    http://judaspenrose.blogspot.com/


  • Anonymous
  • March 6, 2006 at 2:59:00 PM CST
  • emmm

    Clever they are. Built a MC Escher Park, they did.

    If not planned to be unique, then poorly have they planned. How embarrassing.


  • Alexander Trevi
  • March 6, 2006 at 4:07:00 PM CST
  • It's actually the prototype of an Asteromo community. A greater Eden.


  • Anonymous
  • March 6, 2006 at 5:05:00 PM CST
  • you never stop to amaze me by your findings and interest.
    i've introduce your blog to a friend of mine that has seen and done a lot, and was amazed as well:)
    keep on the good work

    good night from israel


  • Samantha
  • March 6, 2006 at 11:11:00 PM CST
  • I just wanted to let you know I love the beauty of your blog. It looks wonderful.


  • Don Mancha
  • March 7, 2006 at 9:01:00 AM CST
  • your site is lovely


  • Fightin' Mad Mary
  • March 7, 2006 at 10:06:00 AM CST
  • Why can't we have something like that in Los Angeles - of all places. Wouldn't it just fit right in to this land of fantasy!


  • Anonymous
  • March 8, 2006 at 1:50:00 PM CST
  • but this Asteromo-"asteroid" can one experience the floating right now???
    (i didn't get it - from visiting their site)


  • Krislan
  • March 9, 2006 at 4:32:00 AM CST
  • beautiful! breathtaking


  • Anonymous
  • March 11, 2006 at 8:02:00 AM CST
  • wow!great!


  • Anonymous
  • March 13, 2006 at 8:58:00 PM CST
  • I love the fluid architecture. The imagination and dreams seep through.
    Nice


  • Amit
  • April 7, 2006 at 3:56:00 AM CDT
  • I like mind challenges... this sure looks a a great one. Can't wait to see it when I visit Japan...


  • Alexander Trevi
  • April 7, 2006 at 2:56:00 PM CDT
  • Amit, fantastic! Can't wait for you to blog about it.

    Anyone else, post links to your blog posts here now!


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