Here there Everywhere
Discover Here There Everywhere, a site-specific installation by Bay Area artist Chris Sicat that invites visitors to encounter contemporary art within the beauty of Hakone’s historic gardens. As you explore the landscape, Sicat’s sculptural works emerge along the pathways, creating unexpected moments of discovery, reflection, and connection to place.
Have You Spotted Them All?
Here There Everywhere extends beyond what you see here. As you wander Hakone’s gardens, keep an eye out for Sicat’s sculptures tucked into the landscape. Some may catch your eye right away, while others might take a little more looking. How many can you find?
About the installation
The installation draws inspiration from the many meanings associated with the number seven, including the seven natural wonders and the seven steps the Buddha is said to have taken at his birth. The placement of the sculptures also evokes seven directions: north, south, east, west, up, down, and here.
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Each sculpture is created through Sicat’s meticulous, process-based approach. Working with salvaged wood, he draws line after line by hand with graphite pencil until the entire surface is transformed into a dark, luminous finish. The resulting “carbonized” wood creates the illusion of steel forged in a foundry, a striking contrast to the natural and fragile qualities of the material beneath.
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Situated subtly within the landscape, the sculptures reveal themselves as visitors move through the gardens. Their graphite sheen shifts with the surrounding light and environment, inviting moments of discovery, reflection, and awareness of one’s presence within the garden.
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Here There Everywhere continues Sicat’s exploration of material, repetition, nature, and place, creating a quiet dialogue between contemporary sculpture and Hakone’s historic landscape.
