Dog Art Today

Akane Takayama’s DOG Sculptures

Written by

Moira McLaughlin

in

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London artist Akane Takayama is in the process of turning school children into installation artists.  Over the past year she has promoted sculpture workshops in schools throughout the city and with her student collaborators created over 700 dogs.  Now, with the help of the children and volunteers, the dogs get to gather in London parks, go on walks, and carry wishes for the future tucked into their collars.

These images were taken at the first installation at Paradise Gardens on June 19 and 20, 2010.  Next Takayama and her collaborators will turn Clissold Park into a dog park on July 31, 2010, and then onto Holland Park on August 8, 2010.  Visit her DOG Sculpture blog for more information.  

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During the course of the installation people want to move the DOGS,
children want to carry them off, bash them, cuddle them or just tear
their ears and tails off. Our team of volunteers spent the days
replacing and repairing the DOGS. We took the position that this
interaction was an intrinsic part of the installation, as the public
interacted the installation changed and moved in response to that
interaction. The public, unwittingly were manipulating the installation
and adding to it in their interaction and thereby re-defining its
appearance. — Akane Takayama

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See more of Akane Takayam's work at her website.

Comments

4 responses to “Akane Takayama’s DOG Sculptures”

  1. ferdinan Avatar
    ferdinan

    creative ideas,,, hahahahaha, how long can a dog made so much? suitable for children’s toys

    Reply
  2. AKANE Avatar
    AKANE

    I am the artist for this Dog sculpture 2010 installation. I wonder if you have seen my exhibition on 19/20 June at Victoria Park in London. The next one is in Clissold Park, north London, on 31 July, and the last one this year is in Holland Park, central London, on 8th Aug. As you might know at each exhibiton I put out about 200 cardboard DOGs in the parks, and at the end of the each day I am giving them away free to the audience. If you still have not had a DOG, please come and get one for yourself. Then you can photograph your new pet and send your photo to me. Akane / http://www.akane.co.uk

    Reply
  3. Jack Avatar
    Jack

    Ferdinan……Not sure what it is you are trying to say but feel certain that you are laughing at the artist. If that is the case then you are really way out of your depth. For a start these are not children’s toys, this is public art and very smartly done. No doubt you could make a sculpture and replicate it hundreds of times then set it within a concept and place it in a location. Let me know when you have done all that creative work and i will promise you one thing….I wont laugh at you.

    Reply
  4. Adam Avatar
    Adam

    very interesting idea, and it’s really great that the children are brought into the experience of making installation art — especially of dogs!

    Reply

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