Art installation is often a very mysterious thing from an outsider perspective; artworks and even whole exhibitions simply seem to appear in galleries and secretive art industry types give little insight into how they got there. In an emergency, though, things are a bit different.
An Instagram user has documented the removal one of Yayoi Kusama’s famous pumpkins – specifically, Yellow Pumpkin (1994) – from its usual spot on the shores of Naoshima Island, ahead of Typhoon Krosa hitting Japan. It’s a nice insight into an (admittedly last minute) art transfer and it’s also… kind of cute?
The video shows a team lifting Yellow Pumpkin together (no easy feat, by the looks of things) and carrying it down a dock.
The pumpkin sculpture is then shown loaded on a van and being driven carefully away to safety.
Unfortunately, Typhoon Krosa (actually a “severe tropical storm” by the time it made landfall, according to Accuweather) did cause significant damage. At least three have been reported dead, with over 30 inches of rain and wind up to 90mph.
Kusama’s pumpkins have previously been damaged (2017) by someone leaning over to take a selfie. They will also feature in a new participatory art installation, which will open in New York May 2, 2020.