山の広場
「空間を、土で作ったらどのように感じるのか？」
私たちはこの疑問を提起して、2000年から山の広場野外劇場のプロジェクトを取り組んできた。。4つの手から4,000以上の手によって作られ、二人の構想からコミュニティー活動になった。60トンの粘土が一つの形になるまで8年かかり、200トンの窯に囲まれ、そしてついに摂氏1,200度以上で40日間かけて焼成した。土から生まれてきたような、土を焼いた音響板が出来上がった。山の広場は、科学や人間表現といった、異なる分野の交わる野外スペースだ。

Since 2000, Steven Ward and Ximena Elgueda have been working on numerous outdoor art projects involving earth/clay, people and time. These projects are social sculptures, with a focus on how a community works together over a period of time to construct a space for public use. These projects all begin with a physical place. Previous sites have ranged from a public park and a university campus to a 100 year old home turned artist residency. Each site’s specific characteristics, both geologic and social, offer key insights into how the ultimate form takes shape.

Most notable to date has been "The Mountain Plaza", or 山の広場 (Yama No Hiroba in Japanese) in central main island Japan. Over the past 16 years this site has been developed into an amphitheater and surrounding park. Ximena and Steven continue with their work on this project. The artists’ goal has been to create works of art of spatial experience without charging viewing fees. All of the costs are overcome by the artists independent income, donated equipment, recycled materials and community networks.