chiharu shiota's 'the soul trembles' exhibition opens at tokyo's mori art museum

from now until october 27, 2019, the largest-ever solo exhibition by chiharu shiota will remain on view at the mori art museum in tokyo. the berlin-based international artist is known for performances and installations that express the intangible: memories, anxiety, dreams, silence and more. often arising out of personal experience, her works have enthralled people all over the world and from all walks of life by questioning universal concepts such as identity, boundaries, and existence. particularly well-known is her series of powerful installations consisting of threads primarily in red and black strung across entire spaces.

where are we going? | 2017/2019 | white wool, wire, rope | dimensions variable
courtesy: galerie templon, paris/brussels
photo by kioku keizo, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

titled ‘the soul trembles’, the exhibition at the mori art museum is the first opportunity to experience in detail 25 years of chiharu shiota’s oeuvre; primarily in large installations, in which an entire space is strung with thread, usually red or black. spectators walking through these spaces strung with thread are made aware, experientially and visually, of the intangible: invisible connections, memories, unease, dreams, and silence.

in the hand | 2017 | bronze, brass, key, wire, lacquer | 38 x 31 x 42 cm
courtesy: kenji taki gallery, nagoya/tokyo
photo by suhni mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

regarding the color of the thread, shiota has said that the black can be interpreted as the night sky or cosmos, and the red as blood, or alternatively, the ‘red thread of fate’ that in east asian belief binds people together. this exhibition features large-scale immersive installations, combining objects such as boats and suitcases evocative of movement and travel, and a burned piano, suggesting silence.

in silence | 2002/2019 | burnt piano, burnt chair, alcantara black thread | dimensions variable
production support: alcantara s.p.a. | courtesy: kenji taki gallery, nagoya/tokyo
photo by sunhi mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

the exhibit also includes: ‘presence in absence,’ new work pondering the soul and the meaning of life; archive displays tracking the development and consistency of shiota’s work since her early career; and the display of material related to the artist’s work in stage design. this comes in the form of sculptural works, video footage, photographs, drawings, and performing arts-related material. the exhibit remains on view in tokyo until october 27, 2019.

reflection of space and time | 2018 | white dress, mirror, metal frame, alcantara black thread | 280 × 300 × 400 cm
commissioned by alcantara s.p.a
photo by sunhi mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

photo by sunhi mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

inside – outside | 2008/2019 | old wooden window | dimensions variable
courtesy: kenji taki gallery, nagoya/tokyo
photo by sunhi mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

accumulation: searching for the destination | 2014/2019 | suitcase, motor and red rope | dimensions variable
courtesy: galerie templon, paris/brussels
photo by kioku keizo, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

where to go, what to exist – photographs | 2010 | suitcase, photograph, thread, etc. | 40 x 50 x 43 cm
courtesy: kenji taki gallery, nagoya/tokyo

out of my body | 2019 | cowhide leather, bronze | dimensions variable
photo by kioku keizo, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

connecting small memories | 2019 | mixed media | dimensions variable
photo by sunhi mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

photo by sunhi mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

photo by sunhi mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

uncertain journey | 2016/2019 | metal frame, red wool | dimensions variable
courtesy: blain | southern, london/berlin/new york
photo by sunhi mang, courtesy of mori art museum, tokyo

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project info:

exhibition name: shiota chiharu: the soul trembles
dates: june 20 – october 27, 2019
organizer:mori art museum
corporate sponsors: obayashi corporation, shiseido co., ltd., thyssenkrupp elevator, toyota motor corporation, samsonite japan co., ltd., tumi japan, trunk(hotel)
support: champagne pommery
production support: alcantara s.p.a.
patrons: james hsu, sophia and leon tan, yashiro chizuko
curated by: kataoka mami (deputy director and chief curator, mori art museum)