"Torvet", market place of Larvik
The Larvik Torvet project (1991-1999)
In the course of the redesign of the Larvik market square and the development of a project plan by the architect Peter Raugland, the Norge Symposium was asked for creative
ideas. Makoto Fujiwara recognized the possibility of making Larvik a “stone town” with stone and sculpture. The idea was to visualize the means of expression of the local stone in its diversity,
texture, origin and artistic potential. It was about naturalness, geological history, sculpture and individuality. All stones from the surrounding quarries should be displayed and shine in their
colors as a template. Makoto Fujiwara created models and began realizing a bubbling fountain made of blue crystalline larvikite as early as 1990. Students from his university activities in
Hanover were always on hand to help.
The fountain// torvet project
Makoto Fujiwara, Michael Zwingmann, Masahiro Moruguchi, Fokku Brands, Lars Tragden,
Knut Wold, Martin Kuhn, Kwan Ho Zwingmann
Only years later, between 1992-96, could the sculptural concept for the entire market place and the order for the Sympsoium Norge be realized. The stone industry sponsored larvikite material from the local quarries in different colors, sizes and shapes. Based on the designs by Makoto Fujiwara and with the project support from the architect Ulrich Hellum, the stone templates were polished, sharpened and adapted to the square by students from international universities.
Larvik the "stone city" of Norway
Makoto Fujiwara, Martin Kuhn, Paul Hoffmann, Christian Hannich, Lars Traegde, Knut Wold, Fokku Brands, Jonathan Garnham
As the last large element, a wall relief 13 m long was created in 1989 as part of the Norges Symposium, which was elaborately assembled from many individually worked stone segments. This twisted sculpture in the Stalaker quarry was realized as a joint project by the sculptors Paul Hoffmann, Christian Hannich, Robert Efgen, Shiro Kano, Martin Kuhn and Makoto Fujiwara.
For many years, Larvik's market square was an exhibition space for the local Larvikite stone, which was made tangible through art and which actually represented Larvik as a “stone town”. Due to municipal changes, the entire marketplace was restructured and rebuilt in 2017. The fountain and a stone sculpture by Makoto Fujiwara have been kept, as well as the sculptural wall relief. All of the remaining stone formations have been returned to the Norge Symposium.
The twisted sculpture
Paul Hoffmann, Christian Hannich, Robert Efgen, Shiro Kano, Martin Kuhn and Makoto Fujiwara
