‘Pixel Tree’: An attention-grabbing art installation is made up of 2,000 cubes

FUKUOKA, Japan >> Gamers and passersby alike are delighted by a pixel art installation of a tree that looks like images from the popular video game Minecraft. The art is in Fukuoka City’s Tenjin district.

The game’s tasks include building objects by stacking blocks together.

The “Pixel Tree” stands in front of a complex being developed by Nishi-Nippon Railroad Co. that is scheduled to open this month.

The 5.7-meter-high (more than 18 1/2 feet), 2.7-ton piece was created by Leandro Erlich, a contemporary artist from Argentina.

Made up of about 2,000 cubes 7.5 centimeters (3 inches) and 15 centimeters {about 6 inches) in size, the tree looks like it belongs in a pixelated virtual world. People passing by snapped photos of the artwork using their smartphones and said it looked like a Minecraft tree.

The cube leaves reflect the light and stand out among the surrounding buildings.

From a distance, the artwork looks like a typical roadside tree with fresh green leaves, but up close, the 3D shape emerges, eliciting a sense of wonder. Some spectators were moved by the work, which seems to merge the real and virtual worlds.

There are plans to place benches around the tree installation, which is sure to make it a new meeting spot in Tenjin.