Kodomo no kuni. In the land of children

Kodomo no kuni, Japanese for the land of children, is the name of a children's park in Yokohama and the title of the new interactive exhibition at the Creaviva Children's Museum. It is also the name of the first playground designed by Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988).

Why a playground?

The artist was convinced that children's curiosity, their urge to explore, their constant thirst for knowledge and their playfulness should also be a source of inspiration for artists, which should be nurtured and preserved. Inspired by Noguchi's work, ideas and techniques, the loft at Creaviva becomes a playful experience space: a Kodomo no kuni that invites exploration and imaginative transformation.

Isamu Noguchi pursued an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach in his art. He was a world citizen, convinced of the idea that all people, through the earth, are connected. Noguchi cannot be reduced to his sculptural activity. His work includes sculptures, stage sets, furniture, gardens and playgrounds. His playgrounds in particular are inviting, but also challenging. Noguchi wanted to open up spaces with his art. According to his conception, therefore a playground should be free of explicit instructions and guidelines, opening up space for playful discovery and exploratory play. He saw his playgrounds as miniature universes that allow children to move around in them according to their imagination and to enter into a relationship with their environment. The Creaviva Children's Museum takes this attitude as an opportunity to build a playful garden landscape in the loft.

Is water only for drinking? What can I build with sand, beyond castles? How does a tree grow in a museum?

The interactive exhibition «Kodomo no kuni. In the Land of Children» answers to these questions. Traces are left in the sand with self-made tools and towers are built from stones of the local Aare shore, patterns are laid or music is made. Guests young and old are invited to paint ephemeral signs on stone and to dance dynamic shapes into the space using their bodies. Inspired by Noguchi's interlocking figures, a community sculpture will be created in the Creaviva that will take shape during the exhibition.

Thanks
Creaviva Children's Museum would like to thank the Förderfonds der Berner Kantonalbank BEKB for their valuable support.

Conception
Curatorial team: Jasmin Bigler, Sinja Bertschi, Lorenz Fischer, Milena Lahoda and Katja Lang