The MOT Annual 2024 Exhibition: On the Imagined Terrain
The MOT Annual 2024 Exhibition: On the Imagined Terrain is a fascinating exploration of our relationship to the terrain around us.
The MOT Annual 2024 Exhibition: On the Imagined Terrain is a fascinating exploration of our relationship to the terrain around us.
Must see show: MOT Annual 2024 on the Imagined Terrain
We live in a highly digitised, hyperconnected world that allows us to transport ourselves anywhere we like, virtually or physically. But this barrage of information and our increased ease of movement also disconnect us from the spaces that we occupy.
While the digital world and modern technologies allow us to communicate, learn, and travel like never before, they also make it harder for us to stay in the present moment. The intentional study of what lies in front of us can allow us to be more aware of the spaces we inhabit and our real connections to the world and others.
The MOT Annual 2024 Exhibition: On the Imagined Terrain is a fascinating exploration of our relationship to the terrain around us. The exhibition is being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo and features the works of four contemporary Japanese artists.
With a collection of intriguing pieces ranging from photography to paintings to digital works and installations, On the Imagined Terrain is a thought-provoking and inspiring show. These artworks encourage viewers to contemplate our relationship with how we see and interpret the world around us.
Courtesy of the Artist and MUJIN-TO Production
Source : ©Ryohei Usui Photo: Kei Miyajima
Exploring complex themes with four of Japan’s most exciting contemporary artists
Japan raised itself from the rubble of World War II to become a technological and economic powerhouse. However, the pace of this remarkable transformation began to stagnate during the 1990s. One of the themes of the On the Imagined Terrain exhibition is the exploration of how this gradual decline has led to simplified narratives that often ignore complex conflicts.
As well as encouraging viewers to be present and connected with their immediate environments, the On the Imagined Terrain exhibition explores the complexities of modern Japan as the artists reinterpret their surroundings through unique perspectives of landscapes, architecture, and everyday life.
On the Imagined Terrain displays artworks created specifically for the exhibition by four of Japan’s most intriguing artists:
Yuki Shimizu: Yuki Shimizu was born in 1984 in Chiba and still lives and works in the area. She is a graduate of Musashino Art University and is known for blending photography and text to create stories inspired by seaside history and Japanese folklore.
In her recent works, Shimizu has experimented with multilayered storytelling techniques such as creating works using seawater-damaged negatives and integrating voice readings of her texts into her works. For the On the Imagined Terrain exhibition, Shimizu has created a photographic textual installation that connects Dalian, China, and the Tokyo Bay area.
Satoshi Kawata: Born in 1987 in Osaka, Satoshi Kawata now lives and works in Kyotango. He has an MFA in Painting from Kyoto City University of Arts and examines Japan’s social structures by creating, dismantling, and relocating murals using traditional fresco techniques.
Kawata has expanded his artistic techniques to include materials like ceramics and enamel. His interest lies in exploring the connection between murals and architecture in public spaces. The On the Imagined Terrain exhibition showcases a 50-metre-long mural painting by Kawata that depicts postwar Japanese urban and suburban landscapes.
Ryohei Usui: Ryohei Usui is a Tokyo-based artist who was born in 1983 in Shizuoka. Since 2011, he has been known for his PET (Portrait of Encountered Things) series where he replaces plastic bottles with glass sculptures and pairs them with industrial products.
Usui’s art highlights overlooked everyday moments by placing mundane objects in new contexts. His installations for the On the Imagined Terrain exhibition invite the viewer to transcend the artistic intention and form new perspectives on everyday scenes, objects and environments.
Techne for the Public (detail), 2024
Source : Photo: Takeru Koroda
Asami Shoji: Born in 1988, Asami Shoji grew up in Osaka, Aomori, and Tokyo. She still lives and works in the Japanese capital. Shoji holds an MFA in Printmaking from Tama Art University.
Her work involves repeatedly applying and removing paint from semi-transparent acrylic panels and canvases. Human-like figures, apparitions, birds, and animals populate her paintings creating vivid images that suggest movement beyond the physical. The artworks featured in On the Imagined Terrain capture the sensory experience of creating and viewing art.
The MOT Annual 2024 on the Imagined Terrain – exhibition details
The MOT Annual 2024 On the Imagined Terrain is being shown at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo until March 30 2025.
