chiharu shiota fabricates a woven wilderness at SCAD museum of art

the latest of chiharu shiota’s self-described ‘drawings in space’ overflows within the SCAD museum of art’s gallery space, immersing visitors in a labyrinth of red yarn. from now through august 6th, the site becomes a expansive entanglement of carefully intertwined thread, forming an all-embracing cocoon of vibrantly-colored matter. within the woven wilderness, a collection of aged objects are placed throughout, leading viewers to question their origin and their meaning within the space. the exhibition ‘infinity lines’ expands on shiota’s broader practice and explores the interconnectivity between possessions and the narratives they hold.

all images courtesy of savannah college of art and design

within the maze of red yarn that constitutes shiota’s ‘infinity lines’ is a collection of antique wooden chairs, which bear physical evidence of a previous use. thread overwhelmingly wraps around the seats, connecting them to each other, and to the walls and floor of the SCAD museum of art. visitors navigate the expanse through carefully articulated pathways, discovering the worn objects as they make their way through the web. the objects in the exhibition retain the personal histories of their owners, symbolically linking the present to the past. narratives are woven together in an immersive landscape that seeks to convey shiota’s belief about people removed from their home countries, such as herself: they ‘live with their bodies as their only real possession.’

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