TOKYO.- Jason Bruges Studio announced The Constant Gardeners, an unprecedented, large-scale, performative robotic art installation, which was unveiled on 28 July 2021 in Ueno Park, Tokyo as part of the Tokyo Tokyo Festival Special 13.

Spanning art, technology and sports, the outdoor installation runs in parallel to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, combining cutting-edge computing and the ancient tradition of the Japanese Zen garden. Analysing past video footage from across a wide range of sporting disciplines and events, The Constant Gardeners creates a new visual language to communicate and celebrate the motion of the professional athletes and their feats of physical prowess. The installation produces dynamic, representative patterns, which ‘the gardeners’, a team of four industrial robot arms mounted on linear rails, precisely rake into a large-scale gravel canvas, consisting of fourteen tonnes of crushed black basalt, surrounded by a further four tonnes of silver-grey granite. In a series of daily performances, ‘the gardeners’ will work together to create around one-hundred-and-fifty unique illustrations throughout the duration of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Some of the performances will showcase the story of an event unfolding over time, while others will shine a light on a single spectacular movement or sporting moment.

Jason Bruges Studio explores the interrelationships between people, data, technology and nature, creating spatial interventions that disrupt urban life and encourage visitors to slow down and reconnect with their surroundings. The Constant Gardeners and the mesmerising raking of its ‘gardeners’ offers visitors a peaceful space for quiet introspection in the heart of Tokyo’s cultural district.

Jason Bruges, Creative Director and Founder of Jason Bruges Studio said ‘We are proud to present The Constant Gardeners as part of Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Special 13. By developing new paradigms in robotics and performative arts, we hope to show how innovative technologies can be used in storytelling, offering audiences in Tokyo an accessible, meaningful experience that celebrates the Tokyo 2020 Games and the incredible skill and achievements of its athletes.’

The artwork was commissioned by The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) and is delivered in partnership with the British Council, as part of their UK/JAPAN bilateral season.