MUSUBI 結び//CONNECTIONS

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Musubi is a collective knot art installation consisting of more than a thousand of colorful naturally dyed fabric knots flowing surface the fence along alameda avenue between South Marion Street Parkway and South Lafayette Street in Denver. 

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The word Musubi has such a rich meanings in Japanese.

Musubi means tying or knots. And it's figurative meaning is the act of connection

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There are many layers of Musubi / connection components in my artwork.

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The Natural dyeing element of this work offers a sense of connection to nature. This section of Alameda Avenue sees nearly 35,000 cars daily and many pedestrians. This installation will be a visible reminder of our connectedness to each other adding a calming, healing effect open to all passing by. Many kinds of natural materials from all over the world were used to create the colors. Also I collected hyper local natural materials from the personal garden, the Steel Elementary school garden and Washington Park. Even invasive plants, food waste, nuts fallen down on the ground have some natural beauty to extract.

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Through making wishing knots, called kanou musubi, people would connect with Asian, Japanese culture. I asked each one of people who tie kanou musubi to write down their wishes.  

This project is my personal re-connection to my own culture as well. I have been living in the United States for 20 years, and yet, I have been re-learning about my own Japanese customs and traditions.

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The art installation will be outside on the fence for at least a couple of months. Natural colors are very fragile, unstable and changing with sunlight and weathering. I hope people will connect with the concept of impermanence, concept of time, and the natural beauty.

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Workshops were taken place at

• Steele Elementary School

• Japanese Academy of Rocky's

• Access Gallery

• Denver Botanic Garden

• Redline Contemporary Art Center

• Asian American Pacific Islanders Club at DSST 

• Washington Park Mother's Day Street Fair

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Special thanks to all the volunteers who helped collecting t-shirts, cutting t-shirts, and installing the artwork.

Theresa Nuber, Gabby, Meredith, Shino, Haruka, Kallioppi

Some colors were dyed by Katherine Frensley in Nashville. 

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This project is made possible with INSITE FUND from Redline Contemporary Art Center, as part of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Regional Re-granting program.

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