Mariko Mori’s Olympic-Themed Installation in Rio State

By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Celebrating the successful completion of the 2016 Rio Olympic games and the commencement of the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, the installation of Japanese artist Mariko Mori’s sculpture “Ring: One with Nature” was officially completed and will now remain on permanent display in Cunhambebe State Park in Muriqui, Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro State.

The installation features a luminous ring that is suspended 58 meters high at the peak of the park’s waterfall, Véu da Noiva (Veil of the Bride). During the day, the sun illuminates the ring changing its colors and hues from blues to golds, among others.

“It is such a special moment to see ‘Ring: One with Nature’ realized in Rio,” said Mori in a released statement. “It has been a long but fruitful journey to bring the dream I had from seven years ago to life, and I’m honored to present it during such a special moment of international unity that is the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Mori is a contemporary Japanese artist known for her works that combine science, technology, and nature. Mori’s works have been displayed around the world including in New York, U.S.; Genoa, Italy; London, United Kingdom; Tokyo, Japan; and Bregenz, Austria, where her internationally recognized interactive installation, “Wave UFO” debuted. In 2011 Mori’s exhibition, “Oneness,” was displayed in three Brazilian cities.

“Ring: One with Nature” was officially unveiled on August 3, 2016 as part of the Celebra™ Cultural Program of the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The installation will remain on permanent display as a gift from Faou Foundation.

The Faou Foundation is a non-profit organization, established by Mori in 2010 as a way to promote environmental awareness through site-specific installations placed on each of the six habitable continents.

Mori’s 2011 installation, “Sun Pillar,” located at Seven Light Bay on Miyako Island, Japan precedes “Ring: One with Nature” as part of the Faou Foundation’s mission and will be paired with a work in progress entitled, “Primal Rhythm.”