The work belongs to the series begun in 1970, notably presented on the occasion of the artist’s exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam in 1972, which explored what Tetsumi Kudo called the “pollution-cultivation-new ecology relationship”.
“History shows us that humanity has conquered, divided, and exploited nature at will and has therefore tortured it. Now, humanity is feeling the effects of pollution as nature’s vengeance. Primitively, technology was meant to serve as an instrument for conquering nature; we must therefore tame technology like a slave in order to protect human dignity. [...]
I think about the relationship that exists between nature, humanity, and technology. I could schematise it as follows:
- the conception of humanity likely to be transformed by polluted nature
- technology transformed and multiplied by the human complex
- nature protected and cultivated by this technology.
These three elements – nature, humanity, technology – are mutually controlled and cultivated within a closed circle. I call this relationship pollution – cultivation – new ecology.”