Multimedia artist Mariko Mori first became known for her large, brightly colored, manga-style self-portraits as various cyber creatures. Later she experimented with sculptures, interactive installations, and utopian architecture, such as her 1.5 million dollar Wave UFO, for which she hired scientists and technicians with the intention of going to the outer limits of what can be done with technology today.Besides her fascination with the latest technology, the content of her art continues to explicitly refer to mystical themes and the religious foundations of Buddhism and Shinto. Forty-two unique embodiments of this central theme are assembled in this unusual and elaborate volume. Talking about her latest book, Mori says, “The concept of oneness . . . is an unanswered question I carry (with me) through the journey of making work.”This long search is beautifully articulated in Mori’s series Beginning of the End: Past, Present, Future, in which the artist travels to both Eastern and Western spiritual sites in a transparent capsule, presenting her journey as if she were a time traveler from a distant planet. We are pleased to offer a small, precious model of one of these “pods” as an exclusive Collector’s Edition. This object, produced by the artist herself in a limited edition, will be delivered in a custom-made wooden box, which also contains a copy of the book, signed by the artist.
