Paramodel is two Japanese artists, Yasuhiko Hayashi and Yusuke Nakano, who create large-scale art installations and travel around the world to install them. Their latest work is their largest yet and uses blue toy train tracks, foam mountains, paper, sand, toy animals and model construction equipment. Despite these simple components, the patterns and worlds they create are quite complex. Each installation is designed specifically for its location. The artists use computer programs to help map out the intricate paths of the train tracks, with areas of symmetry. Yasuhiko Hayashi, 2 assistants and a team of helpers worked for a month from 8am to 8pm every day to get the installation ready for opening night. They bring the "Plarail" train tracks from Japan and then try to get all other materials locally. They like to add a few local fauna, which is why you will find kangaroos, echidnas, wombats and cockatoos in the landscape.
From outside the gallery, you will see the blue train tracks 'escaping' the building. Stepping inside, you will see more tracks, travelling around the walls and ceiling with little cranes interspersed but when you enter the gallery, you will become immersed into a world of blue and white, with the walls, floor and ceiling engulfed in paramodelic graffiti!
The Tenth Sentiment will also engulf you as you walk into a dark room lit only by the headlight of a model train moving slowly along the track, alongside which are various objects casting changing shadows on the walls. As the different shadows loom out of the darkness, you are taken on a journey through space and time...
These exhibitions have to be experienced to fully appreciate the work so I recommend you get there before they close in April. There are plenty more interesting and unusual arts events coming up, such as an inflatable Stonehenge, and I'm looking forward to seeing them soon. Yay for festival season!
