aesthetics of silence
GARDENS
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travel dates
19.05 — 03.06.2027
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until 29.01.2027
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Brussels Zaventem
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When the time came for me to work with larger spaces, I saw them as gardens, not as places with objects, but as relationships within a whole.
Japan is nowhere better understood than in its gardens. Behind the moss, the water, the rocks and the carefully framed views lies a world of stories. Gardens tell of emperors and monks, of poets and warriors, of the relationship between humans and nature, between the transient and the eternal. They form a mirror of Japanese culture and offer a unique access to a country where beauty often resides in the subtle, the unspoken and the ephemeral.
During this special journey we travel through the historical heart of Japan, from Kyoto and Nara to Matsue, Izumo, Takamatsu and Kochi. We visit some of the country’s most refined gardens, but also hidden gems that rarely appear on the Japan traveller’s itinerary. We walk along quiet ponds in which centuries-old pavilions are reflected, discover the abstract power of Zen gardens where stones evoke entire landscapes, and experience how carefully composed views make the seasons part of the architecture.
Along the way, a history of more than a thousand years of garden art unfolds. From the refined court culture of Kyoto to the great landscape gardens of the daimyo, from temple complexes hidden among ancient cedars to contemporary interpretations of nature and ecology. Each garden proves to be its own world, shaped by religion, philosophy, aesthetics and a deep respect for the forces of the landscape.
But this journey is not only about gardens. It also takes us past temples, traditional architecture, contemporary museums and the art islands of the Seto Inland Sea, where art, architecture and landscape merge in a unique way. Throughout the journey we discover how old ideas about space, nature and community continue to inspire today. For example, the traditional concept of satoyama: the age-old balance between humans, nature and community that still guides current discussions on sustainability and living environment.
This journey is an invitation not only to look at Japan, but to experience it. To look attentively. To feel the silence of a moss garden, to observe the shadow beneath a wooden roof edge, or to watch a landscape slowly unfold during a walk.
A Japanese garden is a landscape of memories, symbols and imagination. A place where time becomes visible and where nature and culture meet in a rare form of harmony.
highlights
A particularly special moment is the visit to the Makino Botanical Garden in Kochi, designed by architect Hiroshi Naito. Here botanical knowledge, architecture and ecology meet in a contemporary interpretation of an age-old Japanese sensitivity to landscape. As well as the Adachi Museum, where a unique garden combined with an extensive collection of paintings in the Nihonga style forms a moment of calm in the journey. To name just a few.
17th century © Arnout Fonck
1499 © Arnout Fonck
Ryue Nishizawa, (Rei Naito), 2010 © Arnout Fonck
more photos
Himeji Castle, 1609 © Eva Lo
© Loes Decruynaere
Ryue Nishizawa, (Rei Naito), 2010 © Arnout Fonck
Isamu Noguchi Garden Museum, Isamu Noguchi 1988 © Eva Lo
Ginkakuji, 1482 © Eva Lo
© Loes Decruynaere
your trip guidance
Eva Lo
Eva worked as a project architect at several architectural firms in Antwerp and Brussels. In addition, she is committed as a board member and volunteer at Archipel. Driven by her passion for the city, she guides groups through Brussels during art and architecture tours for Korei.
Hera Van Sande
Hera is a civil engineer-architect. Since her studies, she has led her own firm, JUNO architects. Her research into Japanese modernism resulted in a doctorate, and today she is active as a lecturer at VUB and KU Leuven. In addition, she is involved in various architectural initiatives.