Peace crystal
Ethiopia, Africa, 2025
©2024 Faou Foundation Mariko Mori, Peace Crystal, 2016-2024, Crystal glass, 5’6” (167.5 cm)
Ethiopia, Africa Mariko Mori visited South Africa in 2015 based on her intuition to look for caves, although at the time, she did not know why. Upon her return, while meditating, she thought of the caves. At that moment, the image of Peace Crystal appeared in her mind: two cones, top and bottom, linked to contain a sphere. The sphere radiates in full spectrum colors, symbolizing the soul. The two cones, top and bottom, represent the upright body of humankind, serving as a capsule to hold the spherical soul. Peace Crystal originated with a vision and the project has been led by significant experiences in Ethiopia. Mori came to understand that the sculpture symbolizes upright posture, which was essential for human evolution.
Honoring the Origins of Our Shared Human Lineage
Peace Crystal, 2016-2024 was unveiled in Venice, Italy during the Venice Biennale on June 16, 2024 before it will be installed permanently in Ethiopia. A diamond-shaped translucent crystal glass, Peace Crystal honors the origins of our shared human lineage beginning in Ethiopia, the cradle of six million years of evolution. The artwork reminds us of our common origins and that we all belong to one family tree, uniting individuals throughout the world to deepen our understanding of our shared humanity.
©2024 Faou Foundation Mariko Mori Peace Crystal Rendering in Cave
The Project is Made Possible by:
Lead Support
Tanaka Hitoshi Foundation
Thierry Porte
SCAI the Bathhouse
Jack and Suzy Wadsworth
In Kind Donations
Curatorial Advisor
Alexandra Munroe
Additional Support
Sandra Cattaneo Adorno
Dean and Anna Backer
Masaaki Nakai
Eytan Tigay
Honorary Advisors
Francesco Bonami
H.E. Ambassador Gianluigi Benedetti
Melissa Chiu
Mario Codognato
Sean Kelly
Yoshiko Mori
Masami Shiraishi
H. E. Ambassador Satoshi Suzuki
Satoko Yahata
Project Team
Faou Foundation: Yvette Y. Lee
Development Advisor: Stephane Lafay, STELA Co K.K.
Project Manager: Ogham Agency
Coordinator: Chiara Bordin
Architect: Stuart Huggan, Mariko Mori Studio
Structural Engineers: Tim Macfarlane, Marco Rossi, GL&SS
Peace Crystal Fabricator: Dan Legree, Keir Legree, Savoy Studios
Hoju Fabricator: Sergio Angelino, Francesco Pacchiotti, Angelino Artworks
Interior Light: La Forêt Engineering Co., Ltd.
Exterior Lighting Designer: Ilti Luce
Graphic Designer: Yusuke Akai, paragram
Mariko Mori Studio: Mina Lee, Liz Leggett, Laura Micalizzi, Cris Moore
Special Thanks
Dr. Hailemichael Aberra Afework
Dr. Berhane Asfaw
Chiara Barbieri
Lena Baume
Professor Yonas Beyene
Nicolas Berggruen
Arturo Bettazzi
Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro
Don Gianmatteo Caputo
Nicola Catullo
Venice Mayor Cabinet Dott Moris Ceran
Luigi Alberto Cippini
Chiara Costa
Giuseppe Di Murro
Giacomo di Thiene
Fabrizio D’Oria
Gloria Ducci
Lex Fenwick
Nicola Ferrari
Hiroyuki Furuune
Zoela Gullo
Ryoko Kijima
Ambassador Masaharu Kohno
Kait Ziskin Levesque
Helen Little
Giovanna Luzzi
Giovanna Novello
Furtunato Ortombina
Francesca Pini
Adriana Pedrosa
Franco Pianon
Jemma Read
Adriana Rispoli
Nadia Romain
Alessia Salerno
Mariko Shikakura
Marco Simeone
Professor Gen Suwa
Former Minister of Culture and Tourism
Ethiopia
Hirut Woldemariam Teketel
Erika Uenami
Karole Vail
Adriana Vianello
Daria Volkova
Astrid Welter