images courtesy eitoeiko | click to enlarge
Currently on display New City Art Fair in Chelsea is artist Shusuke Ao‘s installation piece “Operation A,” comprised of a flock of 2,450 originally-designed paper airplanes. The planes, which are suspended in harmony and symmetry, have been a central motif in Ao’s work since his early days as an artist. “My father was a pilot, so airplanes were a part of my life in childhood. And I loved them,” Ao once said in an interview. “But, I can’t remember what actually triggered my ongoing airplane obsession.”
The installation’s incredibly systematic arrangement embodies the beauty of industrial aesthetics, and stands as a symbol of how far our modern-day manufacturing system has taken us. And yet, at the same time, there’s something intimidating – terrifying, almost – about the sight of planes, even if they’re made from paper, dominating our skies.
The exhibition is on display through March 10, 2013 at hpgrp gallery in Chelsea.
the designs are laser-printed onto traditional washi paper
March 13, 2013 at 9:46 am
That is a shocking amount of paper planes and I’m intregued to find out what he does with the installation once it comes to the end of its tour? It would be nice if fans could have a piece of it to take away with them!