「動いている庭」予告編｜The Garden in Movement

INTRODUCTION
“This planet can be thought of as a garden.” This was the key concept of Planetary Garden, an exhibition in Paris by the French gardener Gilles Clément that captivated 300,000 visitors. Known for being the creator of the André Citroën Park and Quai Branly Museum Garden, the philosophy that informs his creations are also in the spotlight.

Clément visited Japan for the first time in the winter of 2015 for a lecture series at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature. This series was split into three parts, each of which focused on his three central concepts: The Garden in Movement, The Planetary Garden and The Third Landscape.

For example, looking at The Garden in Movement, grass and trees are caused to move with the transformations of nature, bringing about the formation of a garden through the dynamism of change. Is this nature or culture? Considered as something attached closely to nature, as shaped, as continuously changing, the garden encourages us to reconsider the conventional, bisectional distinction that separates nature and culture.

In his exploration of Japan, Clément is guided by Tomoki Yamauchi, who translated his book The Garden in Movement into Japanese, and Emmanuel Marès, a researcher in history of Japanese gardens. With Tomoki and Emmanuel, Clément visits Japan’s gardens and deepens his relations with Japan’s gardeners. What will he find in Japanese nature and culture?

The origins of The Garden in Movement can be found in Clément’s own garden. Walking through an expansive garden facing the Creuse River, Clément shows us to places he has labeled ‘Valley Garden’ or ‘The Meadow.’ While it is of course a richly varied garden, we can also learn much from how he lives his life; solar panels on his self-built house to save energy, meals of vegetables harvested from his own field. Everything has started from this place.

To do as much as possible with, as little as possible against. this is Clément’s fundamental approach as a gardener. Respecting this creed, this ethnographic film records Clément in long shot as he tours Japan and shows us his own garden. Recording Clément’s behavior in a long take, the cinematographer becomes the camera and through this synchronizes breath with the camera’s object, prompting Clément’s being to come in possession of a new, shining brilliance.