A reference to the way of Zen Buddhism, the temples inner world, the core. Installed in the center of Reykjavík on the 20th of June on a very wet day. In this monumental sculpture I reflect on the old Buddhist temple Daisen-in founded in 1509 in Kyoto, Japan. Its Zen gardens and its structural and functional traditions.
Absent Core is a reference to the way of Zen Buddhism the temples inner world, the core. In this work visitors are led on a journey through blocked corridor and open veranda, partly surrounding the absent core. The repeated row of blocked Noren gates represent the mystic behind entering into the world of Zen the temple with it’s corridors and verandas, courtyard- and the dry landscape gardens the hidden inner world, the unknown behind removable walls of the Shoji paper doors and windows or the Noren that gently moves by a touch or the weather. After each of the five entries one might think, you are there but you are not. The unexpected is still waiting to appear and the past folds gently behind you on the journey. As you are guided slowly further along and higher up to the open veranda, the direction changing and the path leads you along to the steps, that guide’s you down to the ground again. As you turn the Zen garden presents the big ocean... it welcomes you with its inner cam and the previous footpath is the place to rest and reflect to capture the cam of the Zen and joy the end of the journey. gn 2014
