Frozen Flowers: Azuma Makoto's Artistic Response to Climate Change on the Notsuke Peninsula

The Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido has a snowy and white landscape that is currently being used as a canvas by Azuma Makoto, a creative floral artist. He is known for his unconventional approach to arranging flowers. Makoto has created a new work of art for his 'Frozen Flowers series, which is the third installment since 2019. This series is a combination of art and nature, where he uses the stunning beauty of flowers and places them in a challenging environment like the Notsuke Peninsula.

Makoto works with nature in a collaborative manner, allowing for a balanced relationship without attempting to exert control over it. He embraces the dynamic interplay of changing temperature, wind, and snowfall, which all contribute to the creation of each Frozen Flowers masterpiece. Makoto cleverly harnesses these variables to produce something truly distinctive and one-of-a-kind.

To create this year's Frozen Flowers installation, Makoto and his team worked tirelessly through the night despite the freezing temperatures. Their hard work resulted in a magnificent display of melting icicles and beautiful flowers. They set up the scaffolding during the daytime and then began to spray water on it as the temperatures began to drop. The flowers and foliage, which were sourced from various parts of the world, were frozen into hundreds of icicles within a few hours.

The outcome was a stunning masterpiece that sparkled gloriously in the winter sunshine, only to eventually melt away, leaving behind a cherished memory.

However, this art project is more than just about aesthetics. Azuma Makoto's Studio, AMKK, is also examining the impact of climate change on the Notsuke Peninsula and plans to continue producing updated versions of the Frozen Flowers series annually, while also raising awareness of this crucial issue.