Inspired by the beauty of decay — Martina Kaiser Contemporary Art, Cologne, Germany

Titan Arum — Mono No Aware

Mono No Aware is a Japanese concept with no literal translation in English, but it refers to a kind of transient, gentle sadness at the passing of things. Aware of the fact that the bustling, flowering power of nature in spring and summer cannot last forever, both birth and decay are embraced equally. A feeling of appreciation takes over.

Plants may excel less in colour and growth at this time of the year, they impress all the more with ingenuity and humility. Arne Quinze sees the beauty in the spectacular shapes of the partly crumbled petals and hollow culms of his plants, and he admires how the seeds gradually appear on top of the plants and thus manage to regenerate themselves every year.

This prompted him to create Titan Arum, a Mono No Aware sculpture based on years of studies. You can view some of his studies on paper here.