Filters
1972/1998
A motorbike is attached vertically to the wall． Neon numbers glow with a blue light from behind it, making the series: "1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13..." This sequence is known as the Fibonacci number series. Each entry is the sum of the previous two entries, continuing into infinity. This series can be related to natural phenomena that might at first be thought to be disorderly, such as spiral shells or the leaves of plants. Discovered by a medieval Italian mathematician of the 12th century, it has been given new life in the 20th century in the innovative art of Mario Merz. Merz began using this series in 1970 to refer to systems of generation, development, and reproduction in the natural world. He has used it in a large number of works, combining it with a stuffed alligator and a motif "igloo".As viewers first look at this work, their attention may be drawn to the spectacle of the overwhelmingly real presence of the motorbike and the bright neon lights. Afterward, their view of the world is shaken by the sharp contrast between meanings－the motorbike symbolizing the accelerating society of the present and the mathematical sequence representing organic reproduction, which has not changed since ancient times.
1925-2003
| Genre | Sculptures,installations |
|---|---|
| Material/technique | Motorbike, neon tube, horn |
| Dimensions | インスタレーションサイズ可変 |
| Acquisition date | 1998 |
| Accession number | 1998-00-0039-000 |
| Photo Credit | Photo: Norihiro Ueno |
