By Jenny Zeller
Walks in the Fictional Woods is a circular pavilion that offers a sensory experience with its kinetic façade. The artwork derives its title from Umberto Eco’s book entitled Six Walks in the Fictional Woods and is comprised of three intertwined circles with three gates from three directions, inviting visitors to experience the interior. Made from bamboo canes that vibrate and offer different melodies in the rain or wind, this experience will create rhythmic, relaxing sounds when the bamboo sticks meet.
This L+A+N+D experience was conceptualized and built by Merve Tiryaki, founder of T Urban Design Studio based in Ankara, Turkey. Merve is an award-winning multi-disciplinary urban designer and landscape architect who earned the Grand Prize in Design for Export competition for her ‘Hive’ smart urban furniture in 2021.
Merve arrived in mid-June with her technical team comprised of Emre Tiryaki and Enise Güler. Together with the support of Bernheim’s Operations team, and a dedicated group of art volunteers, Walks in the Fictional Woods was erected within a span of 10 days, despite the heat, humidity, and buggy days of early summer.
Like many pieces unveiled within the inaugural year of Bernheim’s L+A+N+D program, this installation seamlessly blends into the landscape while also defining a new space in the natural world to experience, explore, and enjoy.
