The residents of Abiko, Chiba Prefecture, which is located between the Tone River and Lake Teganuma, have coped with flood damage ever since the Edo era (1615 – 1868). Noah’s Ark is said to have survived the world-engulfing flood, carrying pairs of animals that were chosen to live on. If so, what life would an “Abiko’s Ark” protect and pass down to future generations?
In a field a hundred meters in length that also served as a flood-control pond, Maruyama drew a water map of the rivers and lakes in Abiko, using white stakes as markers. She then placed a small ark made from transparent acrylic panels on the inner side of that map, and cast a large anchor in the ground to declare that it would not escape from that environment. On the inside of the ark were documented images printed on the panels, showing how the people coped with the floods. Maruyama also aimed to load the memories and hopes of the visitors who would peer into the ark. The small boat symbolized humans who are headed toward the future, sailing through their continuous failures, restorations and improvements—as if it were floating on the Milky Way.