“Modern man’s environment is becoming increasingly chaotic. Population growth, the socialization of life and the progress of technology have created an atmosphere of confusion. The ugliness of many indispensable elements and of advertising in general disfigures urban communities, particularly in the suburbs and on highways; the latter, in this century of accelerated time and the automobile, have acquired an unprecedented significance. As a consequence, there is an urgent need for artistic design focused on contemporary town and thoroughfare planning. The artist, instead of being invited to collaborate with urban planners, architects and engineers, stands apart and produces only for the minority that visits art galleries and museums. Art integrated from the very inception of the urban plan is of fundamental importance in our age. This means that artistic work will leave its surroundings of “art for art’s sake” and establish contact with the masses by means of total planning.”

— Mathias Goeritz, from his remarks at the International Meeting of Sculptors at Mexico City, held June 17 1968.

Estación #4, Japan, Sol, Kiyoshi Takahashi (1925–1996)