©teamLab Planets via CNN
Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Do you keep indoor plants? Why or why not?
- What type of art do you appreciate?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- patience /PEY-shuhns/
- understanding /uhn-der-STAN-ding /
- vision /VIZH-uhn/
- descend /dih-SEND/
- composer /kuhm-POH-zer/
[noun] – the ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to suffer without complaining or becoming annoyed:
Humans develop patience as they grow older.
[noun] – knowledge about a subject, situation, etc. or about how something works
Ann has a deep understanding of life.
[noun] – an idea or mental image of something
My vision for this project is a space where people can laugh and dance.
[verb] – to go or come down
The child watched the elevator descend with curious eyes.
[noun] – a person who writes music
Alan Menken is a well-known composer of Disney songs.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
A place where you can be one with nature and leave with patience and understanding. This is teamLab’s vision for their latest artwork named, “Floating Flower Garden; Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One.” TeamLab, an art collective based in Tokyo, is known for its captivating digital installations, but the group’s latest masterpiece is an ode to the natural world. Made public over the summer, the work is made up of over 13,000 living orchids.
Once you step foot inside the installation, you will be greeted by the orchids suspended from the ceiling as if they are floating in mid-air. But it doesn’t stop there, when you approach the orchids, the flowers would slowly begin to rise, allowing you to enter the space, before descending again behind you. “We are using real living orchids, but behind them are so many technologies,” says Takeshi Kudo, communications director at teamLab. The artwork is also adorned with a mirrored floor, the scent of plants, and composer Hideaki Takahashi’s entrancing music.
“Orchids can live without soil, and we can learn so many things from them and other plants. They have more history than human beings.” The garden-inspired installation is on show at teamLab Planets, a museum in Tokyo. It will remain open until the end of 2022.
Once you step foot inside the installation, you will be greeted by the orchids suspended from the ceiling as if they are floating in mid-air. But it doesn’t stop there, when you approach the orchids, the flowers would slowly begin to rise, allowing you to enter the space, before descending again behind you. “We are using real living orchids, but behind them are so many technologies,” says Takeshi Kudo, communications director at teamLab. The artwork is also adorned with a mirrored floor, the scent of plants, and composer Hideaki Takahashi’s entrancing music.
“Orchids can live without soil, and we can learn so many things from them and other plants. They have more history than human beings.” The garden-inspired installation is on show at teamLab Planets, a museum in Tokyo. It will remain open until the end of 2022.
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What is TeamLab’s vision for their artwork?
- How many living orchids did teamLab use for the installation?
- What would happen if you approach the orchids?
- Who composed the music for the installation?
- Where is teamLab Planets located?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- Have you been to an art exhibition?
- Do you know anyone passionate about plants?
- If you were an artist, which flower would you choose to represent your installation?
- Do you think there should be more nature-inspired art installations around the world?
- In your opinion, why are flowers important to humans?