每年一月中旬，法国知名百货商场“Le Bon Marche”都会举办“白色一月”假日甩卖活动，专门出售白色的家居用品。空间中南精心展示了各种白色的商品，如白色亚麻织物、毛巾和餐具等，象征着新的一年新的开始。对于巴黎本地人来说，每年由不同的特约艺术家设计的“白色展览”是这个活动最大的看点。经过仔细的思考，nendo将展览的主题定为“雨滴和花朵”，深入挖掘并展现了特卖活动中“全新开始”这一主题。

On mid-January of every year, the iconic French department store “Le Bon Marche” holds its renowned “mois du blanc” holiday sale of white household goods. White merchandise such as linens, towels and dishes are specially displayed and sold to allow for a fresh and festive start for the year. Local Parisians look forward to the annual “white exhibition” created by a guest artist, spread across the different areas of the store. After making considerations for this exhibition, the theme of “droplets and flowers” was a developed, representing the sale’s spirit of “a fresh new start”.

雨滴带来的往往是负面印象，如沉重的雨水或悲伤的眼泪。与之相对，花朵通常是正面的象征，带来生机与欢乐。尽管这两个意象看上去截然相反，它们彼此之间却是相互依存，就如光离不开影。在设计中，这两个元素得到了平等的对待。

雨总是令人厌恶，提到它，人们会想到灰色的天空，潮湿的衣物，以及沾满鞋面的污泥。然而，雨对于地球万物来说是不可或缺的。在许多文化中，人们将雨水看作是来自上帝的礼物，并且出现了丰富多样的关于雨的比喻。在日本，雨如同风暴后的平静，让人与人之间的交流更加平和；在中国，人们相信龙是神的使者，它在带来雨水的同时带来好运。其他文化中也有对雨水的正面描述，如认为它重新填满了地球，甚至将它视为天使的眼泪。

Droplets might be perceived as negative, when thinking of heavy rain-drops or tears of sadness. Flowers, however, usually represent positive notions such as vitality and happiness. Although they seem as two opposite ideas, one cannot exist without the other, similarly to light and shadow. And so when developing the design, the two elements were treated equally.

Rain in general, can also be seen as a nuisance; it reminds people of grey skies, wet clothes, and sticky mud that covers their shoes. However, rain is vital for life on earth and in many cultures people regard rain as a gift from god. Metaphors addressing rain are abundant, and exist across cultures. In Japan, rain is perceived as being able to smoothen communication between people like the calm that follows a storm, and in China the mythical Rain Dragon is an admired creature believed to be an emissary of the gods that brings good luck. Other cultures also have very positive associations for rain, as an element that replenishes the earth, or even described as the tears of angels.

▼概念草图，concept sketch ©nendo

nendo设计了四种不同的装置，向人们展示了只要轻微改变视角，生命中的负面元素就可以变成正面的意象。来Le Bon Marche参观的游客将会在这一启发性的体验中感受何为全新的开始。

The desire was to express through four different installations that negative elements in our lives can be viewed as positive only by slightly changing our perspectives, hoping that the customers that visit Le Bon Marche will have an illuminating experience for a fresh new beginning.

▼商场立面外观，external view of the department mall ©Takumi Ota

一滴雨水落下，逐渐变成一个花瓶，瓶中有一枝含苞待放的花。时间流逝，花朵凋零，花瓶倒下成一个水坑，花丛从中再度显现。这个简短的故事通过声光，展示在商场主入口的橱窗上。

A raindrop falls into a bottle and gradually blend together into a vase from which a flower starts to bloom. The flower will eventually wilt and the vase will collapse to form a water puddle, from which flowers  reemerge. It is a small story portrayed using light and sound in the ten display windows by the main entrance of Le Bon Marche.

▼橱窗展示水滴和花瓶装置，the installation of raindrop and vase showed in the windows ©Takumi Ota

▼装置讲述故事，small story told by the installation ©Takumi Ota

宽敞的中庭有五百平米大，中央设置商场标志性的电梯。120个水滴形的物体悬挂在15米高的天花上，如同雨滴从空中落下。在从三层落到一层的过程中，雨滴逐渐转变成了花朵，形成了一片花床。随后，花朵随风升回天空，重新变为雨滴，再次落下，如此往复。

The 500 sqm atrium is well known for it’s iconic escalators located in its center. Suspended from the 15-meter high ceiling of the atrium are 120 droplet-shaped objects that gently descend like falling rain. As they move down from the third floor to the first floor, each droplet transforms into a “flower”,  gradually changing the rain fall into a bed of flowers. Each flower then ascends into the sky as if carried by wind, and transforms back into a droplet that will fall back down again.

▼装置在中庭中变化，the installation changing in the atrium ©Takumi Ota

运动的装置让中庭每时每刻都在变化，从不同视角可以欣赏到不同的景象。

The dynamic movement of the installation changes the appearance of the atrium on any given moment and from any point of view.

▼从不同楼层看向装置，view to the installation from different floors ©Takumi Ota

▼仰视装置，look up to the installation ©Takumi Ota

▼装置近景，closer view to the installation ©Takumi Ota

▼装置夜景，installation during night ©Takumi Ota

巴比伦街入口 Rue de Babylone Entrance

“雨瓶”装置展示了二十个“瓶子”型的雨水。相较于英语中只有少数描述雨水的方式，日语中有大量关于雨的词汇，根据降雨的年份季节，雨量和雨滴大小而设。关注微妙的细节上的变化，将极大程度拓展我们的视野。

The “rain bottle” installation showcases twenty “bottled” types of rain. Although there are only a few ways to describe “rain” in English, in Japanese, there are dozens of words for “rain”, depending on the yearly season, the amount and size of rain drops. The installation shows that by focusing on subtle details and changes we can maximize our field of view.

▼雨瓶装置，rain bottle installation ©Takumi Ota

▼每个瓶子展示一种不同的雨，different types of rain in different bottles ©Takumi Ota

在装置“开放的天空”中，游客可以在白色的聚光灯下举起雨伞，伞的阴影中将出现变化的图案。通常情况下，雨伞遮挡了人们看向天空的视线。然而在这个装置中，人们仿佛感到雨伞“重现”了天空，留下独特而难忘的使用记忆。这个装置首次与2019年4月在东京三得利博物馆展示。 在Bon Marche的展览中，nendo创造了新的动画以回应“雨”和“花”的主题，并展现巴黎的风景。

In the installation “uncovered skies” visitors carry umbrellas under bright white spotlights and notice a moving image appear on the shadows that are casted from the umbrellas. Usually, the umbrella covers the view of the sky when in use, however in this case, the visitor feels as if the skies are “revealed” by the umbrella, making the experience of using it, unique and memorable. The installation was first exhibited in the Suntory Museum, Tokyo, in April 2019. New animations were created for Bon Marche to fit the concept of “rain”, “flower” and Parisian scenery.

▼开放的天空装置，uncovered skies installation ©Takumi Ota

▼伞影下的影像，video in the shadow of the ubrella ©Takumi Ota

photographer: Takumi Ota filming: Toru Shiomi, Takahisa Araki editing: Toru Shiomi