sixteen air-filled inflatable rock formations by ENESS light up for i light singapore

ENESS presents Inflated Rock Formations for i Light Singapore

ENESS, a Melbourne-based art and technology studio, presents Iwagumi Air Scape at i Light Singapore. This large-scale installation, located on the Marina Bay foreshore, highlights the integration of natural elements into urban settings.

Spanning 4900 sqm, Iwagumi Air Scape features sixteen air-filled inflatables, with the tallest reaching up to 13 meters. These structures mimic a mountainous landscape, creating an illusion of a natural rock formation against the city skyline. The installation, which lights up at night, draws from the Japanese concept of Iwagumi, a term meaning ‘rock formation,’ popularized in aquascaping by Takashi Amano. Amano’s approach emphasizes simplicity and the natural beauty of rock arrangements.

Artist and ENESS founder, Nimrod Weis, describes the installation as a celebration of nature’s inherent design. The inflatables are meticulously textured to resemble real rocks, offering visitors a visual and tactile surprise. The work includes crevices and pathways that invite exploration, simulating the experience of navigating a natural canyon.

ENESS presents Iwagumi Air Scape at i Light Singapore | all images by Finbarr Fallon & Shiya Creative Studio

Visual and Auditory Elements add to Immersive Iwagumi Air Scape

Accompanying the visual elements is a soundscape that enhances the immersive experience. As visitors move through the installation, they trigger sounds of birds, night frogs, crickets, monkeys, bats, and mountain streams, creating a dynamic auditory environment. This interaction emphasizes the contrast between the natural sounds within the installation and the urban noises that penetrate the space.

At night, the rocks glow, resembling embers or molten lava, evoking thoughts of the earth’s geological processes. This illumination makes the installation a focal point around the bay, aligning with the festival theme of Circular Nature and prompting reflections on our relationship with the natural world.

Iwagumi Air Scape by ENESS invites visitors to reconnect with nature through its monumental yet harmonious design, blending the simplicity and beauty of rock formations with the urban environment. The installation is on display at Marina Bay Promontory until June 23, 2024.

the installation is located on the Marina Bay foreshore

Iwagumi Air Scape integrates natural elements into the urban setting

spanning 4900 sqm, the installation features sixteen air-filled inflatables

the inflatables are textured to resemble real rocks

the installation lights up at night, creating a striking visual

the tallest inflatable reaches up to 13 meters high

crevices and pathways invite exploration like a natural canyon

the glowing rocks at night resemble embers or molten lava

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project info:

name: Iwagumi Air Scape
designer: ENESS | @studioeness

location: Marina Bay, Singapore

photography: Finbarr Fallon | @fin.barr – Shiya Creative Studio | @ksy.yuan

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom