Impossible structures leftover from an imagined civilisation – Minoru Nomata invites us into a forgotten world.
Grand beyond belief, Minoru Nomata’s monolithic structures are something to marvel at. They push the boundaries of what architecture could and should be. Form follows function, as it’s never clear what their purpose is. You have stairs that lead to somewhere and nowhere, beautiful, sweeping arches that have no rationale, and a disused giant windmill.
If we explore further we can see that some are more crudely constructed and others are more intricate and grand. It’s like Nomata is showing us the progression of a civilisation, from start to finish. Combined with this muddied, toxic sky as the backdrop and the obvious absence of life existing in his works, there’s an air of sinisterism. What happened to everyone? Are we witnessing a post-apocalyptic future?
But it’s a dystopian future that has us gripped, and we can’t help but be in awe of what has been achieved. There is beauty in these ruins. Rooted in fantasy, these solitary monuments are magnificently designed and fuels our imagination to consider architecture as something sculptural, something art. We don’t have to be drawn into how they function, although that’s part of the fun of Nomata’s work. We can just appreciate them as an art form. I hope one day we get to see them in reality!
artmyface 