Kodomo no kuni. In the land of children
Interactive exhibition

Playful discovery - discovering play

Interactive response to the Isamu Noguchi exhibition

Kodomo no kuni, Japanese for the land of children, is the name of a children's park in Yokohama and the title of the new interactive exhibition at the Creaviva Children's Museum. It is also the name of the first playground designed by Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988). Why a playground? The artist was convinced that children's curiosity, their urge to explore, their constant thirst for knowledge and their playfulness should also be a source of inspiration for artists, which should be nurtured and preserved. Inspired by Noguchi's work, his ideas and techniques, the loft at Creaviva becomes a playful experience space: a Kodomo no kuni that invites exploration and imaginative transformation.

Isamu Noguchi pursued an interdisciplinary and intercultural approach in his art. He was a citizen of the world, convinced of the idea that all people are connected through the earth on which we stand. His work includes sculptures, stage sets, furniture, gardens and playgrounds in a wide variety of creative forms. In his view, a playground should be free of explicit instructions and guidelines, opening up space for playful discovery and exploratory play. He saw his playgrounds as miniature universes that allow children to move around in them according to their imagination and enter into a relationship with their environment. The Creaviva Children's Museum has taken this approach as an opportunity to build a playful garden landscape in the loft.

What can I build from the finest sand? Can a tree grow in the museum? In the interactive exhibition Kodomo no kuni. In the Land of Children we find answers. Using tools we have made ourselves, we leave traces in the sand and build towers out of stones from the local banks of the Aare, create patterns or produce music. Guests young and old are invited to paint fleeting signs on stone and dance dynamic shapes into the space. Inspired by Noguchi's interlocking figures, a communal sculpture will be created at Creaviva, which will take shape during the exhibition.

Concept
Jasmin Bigler, Sinja Bertschi, Lorenz Fischer, Milena Lahoda and Katja Lang

Thanks to
The Creaviva Children's Museum would like to thank the development fund of the Berner Kantonalbank BEKB for its valuable support.