The entire space of the Japan Foundation building is covered with Japanese and Vietnamese toys and everyday objects, particularly pieces of ‘Plarail’ – a popular Japanese toy train and track system - creating a unique eye-catching installation.
Visitors will be impressed by the efforts of 43-year-old artist Hayashi Yasuhiko, one of the two founders of ‘Paramodel,’ and four co-ordinating Vietnamese artists who installed thousands of toys in a magical artistic environment evoking childhood memories.
They use toys and everyday objects in ways that anyone, even those with no knowledge of art, can easily understand.
Visitors can recognise daily life in Hanoi through the sprawling construction works created with toy cranes, bricks, and Vietnamese toys.
Hayashi and his assisstants are still working hard from early in the morning until midnight to finish their work.
‘Paramodel’ is an art unit formed in 2001 by Hayashi Yasuhiko and Nakano Yusuke. The title is essentially a fusion of the words ‘Parradise,’ ‘Paradox,’ and ‘Model’. It also plays on the Japanese word ‘Puramoderu’ (plastic toy diorama).
Through elaborate combinations of plastic toy parts and other everyday objects, they attempt to create a blueprint of paradise while underscoring life’s paradoxes. Paramodel’s expansive artworks range from massive, room-scale installations to small sculptures, as well as videos, drawings, photography and other media.
‘Paramodel’ has held their unique exhibitions in Japan, Singapore, China, Australia, Lithuania, Indonesia and Switzerland.
“The Plastic Model of Paramodel is Paramodel” will run until March 11 at the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange, 27 Quang Trung Street, Hanoi.
