"Toshin, Hanabi Research Institute AMKK" was co-founded in 2009 by the well-known Japanese flower artist Tonobu Azuma Makoto and photographer Shunsuke Shiki, who strive to explore the possibilities of flower and grass expression, shape the expression that is not bound by the existing floral framework, the uniqueness of its perspective and the spirit of full of experimentation make every public display of its works impressive, and the constant innovation and breakthrough of flower and plant art installations convey the connection between man and nature and flowers.
AMKK's most famous work is to put huge "plant sculptures" into various extreme environments such as ice cubes, high altitudes, etc., to observe the vitality of flowers and plants in different environments, which breaks through traditional logic and rules and enhances the value of flowers and plants to the artistic level, not just the practice of ornamentation, but also to convey their ideas to the world.
In June, they unveiled their latest work, "Botanical Sculpture × In Bloom Project – Sea", which once again amazed everyone, including a variety of flower plants such as plantains being transported to the bottom of the sea, and the staff dressed in wetsuits and romboss with their feet and carrying oxygen cylinders to arrange floral works under the sea, because they need to resist the buoyancy of the sea, so they are more challenging than on land, and the fixed works are also more laborious.
It can be seen from the film that the work is completed, and it is a fantasy and beautiful atmosphere with the flowers and plants slowly swaying, but for plants that need air, soil and sunlight, it is very exciting to see whether there will be a sequel after the first episode and how the work will change.
AMKK's creation is to constantly break through every work, from the macroscopic natural bliss to the microscopic X-ray perspective observation, all of which reflect their open brain holes and the resilience of flowers and plants.
In July 2014, the flower works were raised to a height of 30,000 feet, using high-altitude photography to record the changes of plants at different altitudes and temperatures, telling everyone that the flowers can still maintain vitality and freshness when they are under 15,000 feet, and here they gradually wither and blacken, and at the end, they have all dispersed and have no substance, and the time and pressure bring such a transformation to life.
In February 2021, huge flower materials were moved by hand to the Nopaku Peninsula in Hokkaido, Japan, and in the middle of the icy and snowy wasteland, colorful flowers suddenly bloomed, although contrary to harmony, they were beautiful. After the flowers are continuously watered, the water column freezes into strips of icicles and solidifies on the floral works, and they use natural phenomena to create amazing plant sculptures.
In October 2021, the flowers and plants were X-rayed by AMKK, so that the subtle textures of each leaf vein and stem and root were clearly visible to everyone, allowing them to see the composition of the flowers and plants. Who knows how to use such a perspective to observe the plants that can be seen everywhere every day? In addition to being an artistic expression, this is more subtly thinking about the nature of life and nature.