Capabilities #1: Oneness

by Mariko Mori

Title: Oneness (Aliens)

Author: Mariko Mori

Year: 2003

Technogel: characters' material

Exhibitions: Oneness, Jeffrey Deitch New York 2003; Kunsthaus Bregenz, 2003; Villa Contarini, Piazzola Sul Brenta (PD), 2010; Centro Cultural do Banco do Brasil Brasília, Brasília 2010

Concept: Oneness is a sculpture of six “alien” figures, linking hands in a circle. When the viewer participates in the work by hugging the figures and welcoming them, the aliens’ eyes light up and their hearts start beating. When all six are hugged at once the base lights up as well. Oneness is an allegory of connectedness, a representation of the disappearance of boundaries between the self and others. It is a symbol of the acceptance of otherness and a model for overcoming national and cultural borders. It also is a representation of the Buddhist concept of oneness, of the world existing as one interconnected organism. 

[Courtesy of Deitch Projects - Photos By Marco Della Torre]