Tension. Movement. Harmony. And a moment in time. These elements are written into the lines of a circular sculpture, a twist of bronze, oak and light-reflecting gold that appears to hover in the air. A new creation by Irish artist Joseph Walsh, Magnus Rinn is designed to coexist with the sky, wind and natural light – and in Japan, it’s on track to become an enduring symbol of his homeland’s contemporary creative heritage.
Six metres tall and seven years in the making, the sculpture is positioned just outside the entrance to the Irish pavilion at Osaka Expo 2025 (which runs 13 April – 13 October). A dialogue between material and form, the pavilion and its signature sculpture are one of a series of new creative projects masterminded by the Irish government that aim to deepen cultural ties between Ireland and Japan.
Delve into the Irish Pavilion at 2025 Expo Osaka
Another landmark project is Ireland House, a 3,000 sq m flagship government facility wrapped in Irish limestone and oak latticework. Overlooking a park in central Tokyo, it will open just days after the Osaka Expo. Designed by Irish practice Henry J Lyons, the complex will be home to the Irish Embassy and the ambassador’s official residence, as well as a library and exhibition and performance area.
The opening of Ireland House in Tokyo will be marked by an inaugural exhibition celebrating Japanese and Irish creativity. Entitled ‘Rinn/’, it is curated by Walsh, and his not-for-profit cultural programme Making In, as well as by Wahei Aoyama, founder of respected Tokyo gallery A Lighthouse called Kanata. For Walsh, these projects reflect an ongoing creative dialogue between the two nations. He says, ‘I feel we connect in a respect for the unknown, for our ancestors, for the mystery and mythology that forms both of our cultures.’
Ireland is one of around 160 countries taking part in the Expo on Yumeshima Island in Osaka Bay, which is expected to attract around 28 million visitors during its six-month run. Designed by the Office of Public Works and constructed by TSP Taiyo, the Irish pavilion consists of a trio of interconnected circular buildings clad in Irish Douglas fir, its form inspired by the triskele, an ancient Celtic triple knot motif.
Greeting visitors is Magnus Rinn, which sits in an outdoor setting designed by Hiroyuki Tsujii in collaboration with Joseph Walsh Studio. The sculpture’s upper section has been created by meticulously twisting layers of thin wood, while the bronze element (complete with thumbprints in the mould to emphasise the dialogue between maker and work) was cast at the Fonderia Artistica Mariani in Italy. After connecting these components, specialist gilders applied gold leaf sheets by hand to the surface.
‘The concept relates to much of my work, a form that is a tension,’ explains Walsh. ‘I wanted one generous, gentle movement, a circle but not a circle. The twist through the form brings in the three-dimensionality and the movement. Rinn in Gaelic means place or a point – and in Japanese, the same word means circle, ring or circularity. I like that the meaning in both languages strongly represents my ideas around this piece, of place and this moment in time, within a continuous cycle of time.’
The ideas that shape the sculpture harmonise with the inaugural exhibition at the new Ireland House, with works by local artists including Kan Yasuda, Eiko Kishi and Sueharu Fukami, and from Ireland, Sean Scully x Mourne Textiles, Deirdre McLoughlin and Frances Lambe.
Aoyama, who will also stage ‘Rinn/Part II’ at his gallery in April, says, ‘Walsh’s natural silhouettes depict the beauty of nature, and such qualities are emblematic of Japanese beauty as well. Japan and Ireland are both island nations surrounded by the ocean, and both nations have long cherished and revered nature. This is evident in fullat this upcoming exhibition.’
Osaka Expo 2025 is on from 13 April-13 October, expo2025.or.jp. ‘Rinn/’ is on show at Ireland House from 17-30 April
This article appears in the May 2025 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands from 3 April 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today
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