Exhibition:​ “呼応する / Koō-suru”

We are delighted to announce the upcoming exhibition “呼応する / Koō-suru,” curated by the students of the Graduate School of Global Arts. This exhibition will be held at the Aizumi Art Museum, commencing on November 9, 2024 (Sat).

Exhibition title:​「呼応する / Koō-suru」
Dates:​​​ 9^th November 2024 (Sat) – 14^th November 2024 (Sun)
Opened on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Opening hours:​ 11:00-17:00（no entry after 16:30）
Admission:​​ Free
Venue:​​​ Aizumi Art Museum
Adress: ​​​2-5 Aijucho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Directions​:
5 minutes walk from Yotsuya-Sanchome Station (Exit 2) on the Marunouchi Line (※ Please note that there is no parking space available, so please use public transportation.)
Participating Artists:
Ismaïl Bahri, Maki Ueda, Mouna Karray, Sunna Svavarsdóttir, Yajing Yi, Þorsteinn Eyfjörð Þórarinsson (Sound Performance)
Curators:
Anqi Li, Taniguchi Asuka, Ghada Hadil Ben Fredj, Katrin Bjoerg Gunnarsdottir, Rochio Cruz Toranzo

Concept
The exhibition “呼応する / Koō-suru” brings together  five artists from China, Japan, Iceland and Tunisia inviting a profound meditation on the question: what does it mean to truly receive from another?. The exhibition subverts the conventional museum experience, where the visitors often stand apart, merely observing, casting themselves as distant arbiters over the art. Instead, it calls upon us to look beyond the surface, questioning and challenging the dominance of sight and awakening the possibility of a more visceral, intimate connection.

Rooted in the Japanese concept of koō-suru, a term that transcends a mere “response” to embody resonance, a subtle echo that lingers and grows. It is a subtle, yet potent act of engagement, where one gesture ripples outward, responding to the movement of another, even if not in the same way. Each interaction finds its reflection not as mimicry, but as something altogether new, a unique expression that blossoms from the interplay of energies, revealing the beauty of divergent paths converging in dialogue.

Here, in this space of exchange, the artworks are not passive; they beckon, listen, and react to our presence. Each piece vibrates with the potential for communion, seeking to dissolve the boundaries between viewer and creation.

The “呼応する / Koō-suru” exhibition invites a more holistic engagement that transcends mere seeing. In this mutual unfolding, the visitors find themselves not merely witnesses to the artworks, but as a part of an evolving conversation, where each glance, each breath, each moment reverberates in delicate resonance deep within.

Related Programs:

Opening Reception
November 8, 2024 (Friday) | 17:00
※ For Press and Invited Guests Only
The opening reception will showcase the electronic music composer Þorsteinn Eyfjörð Þórarinsson from Iceland. With an interest in spatial resonance and the interplay between humans and the natural environment, his performance explores the manipulation of acoustic sensations and the temporal intricacies of auditory memory. Attendees will experience a unique form of « koō-suru » that complements the exhibited works and enriches the overall ambiance of the exhibition.

Artist Talk｜Featuring Maki Ueda, Sunna Svavarsdóttir
November 10, 2024 (Sunday) | 14:00
A conversation with two of the participating artists, Maki Ueda and Sunna Svavarsdóttir, will explore their creative processes, share insights into the inspirations behind their work for this exhibition, and reflect on the overarching themes of the show. This talk provides a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the exhibition through the artists’ perspectives.

Curator Talk｜Featuring Anqi Li, Taniguchi Asuka, Ghada Hadil Ben Fredj, Katrin Bjoerg Gunnarsdottir, Rochio Cruz Toranzo
November 17, 2024 (Sunday) | 14:00
The student curators of this exhibition will engage in a reflective discussion about the production process while addressing questions from attendees. This interactive dialogue aims to provide insights into the creative journey behind the exhibition, enhancing visitors’ understanding of its themes and objectives. By sharing their experiences and insights, the curators hope to foster a deeper connection between the audience and the exhibition itself.

Artists’ Biographies:

Ismaïl Bahri

Born in 1978 in Tunis, Tunisia. Lives and works between Paris and Tunis.

Ismaïl Bahri uses video, drawing, sculpture and sound, with no one specialization. He positions himself as an observer to set up a device for capturing gestures and empirical experiments, paying attention to “what happens”. His work is interested in the meaning that emerges at the periphery of the gaze, in the presence of the surrounding world that emerges and reveals its presence.

Bahri’s work has been shown in diverse venues, including Jeu de Paume (Paris), Centre Pompidou, La Criée  (Rennes),  La Verrière (Brussels), the Staatliche Kunsthalle (Karlsruhe), Le Forum (Tokyo), Beirut Art Center. His films have been selected for festivals such as TIFF, Toronto, Canada, NYFF, New York, USA, IFFR, Rotterdam, Netherlands, FID, Marseille, France, and the Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels, Belgium.

Ismaïl Bahri was a fellow at the Villa Medici, Académie de France in Rome in 2023 – 2024.

Maki Ueda

Born in 1974 in Tokyo. Graduated the Environmental Information Department (B.A. 1997, M.A. 1999), KeioUniversity, Japan. Currently based in Ishigaki Island in Okinawa, Japan. She received a grant from the Japanese government in 2000 and from the POLA Art Foundation in 2007. She is one of the leading artists in the globally acclaimed scent art scene. She has exhibited at prestigious venues around the world, including the National Gallery of Singapore, the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, and the Villa Rot Museum in Germany. Notably, she has been nominated six times for esteemed  the Art and Olfaction Awards Sadakichi category, winning the award in 2022, and serving as a judge in 2024. In Japan, she made history by hosting the first large-scale solo exhibition of scent art at a public museum at the Kiyosu Haruhi Museum of Art in 2018. Additionally, she is actively involved in educational and outreach initiatives related to scent art, conducting university lectures, online courses, and contributing to scholarly publications.

Mouna Karray

Mouna Karray(b. 1970, Sfax), grew up and studied in Tunisia with a portion of her studies in Japan. She later immigrated to France, as an artist, in 2005. In Tunisia, she studied sociology, culture, and arts in general. This allowed her to explore different fields in art and be influenced by the study of humanities, particularly sociology.　In 1997, Karray went to Japan to study photography at Tokyo Polytechnic University, Graduate School of Arts, where she earned her master’s degree in photography in 2001. Her time in Japan was pivotal in her artistic development, shaping her into a unique artist with a highly personalized approach. Her work explores themes of memory, identity, and the intricate dynamics of domestic and urban spaces, employing an intimate and poetic approach. Through her lens, she blends personal experiences with broader socio-political contexts, crafting powerful interior images that engage both the private and public spheres.

In 2023, Mouna Karray had her first institutional exhibition in Tunisia “ The Patterns Of Ferdousse” at The Contemporary Art Center, La Boîte. In 2017, she had her first solo show “OFF-THE AIR” held at the Zeitz Mocaa Museum at the Roger Ballen Foundation Center of Photography. She exhibited her work at “Afriques Capitales” at La Villette and The Second Biennial of Photography in the Contemporary Arab World, IMA in Paris. Her work has been shown at the “Biennial of Dak’Art” 2016 and “The Photographic Encounters of Bamako” in 2007, 2011, and 2019. Her works have been presented at important museums such as the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington (2015), the MMK in Frankfurt (2014), the MAXXI in Rome (2013), and the Quai Branly Museum in Paris (2009)

Mouna Karray’s works are in several collections including the CNAP, the MUCEM, the Zeitz MOCAA Museum, the Sindika Dokolo Foundation, La Boîte the Kilani Groupe Collection, and the Nadour Collection.

Sunna Svavarsdóttir

Born 1992 in Akureyri, Iceland. She is based in Reykjavík, Iceland where she works on projects in art and design. Sunna graduated from ArtScience Interfaculty Royal Academy of Art & Royal Conservatory,  The Hague, in 2019.

In her works she opens a dialogue on how we navigate the world with our senses. She focuses on  experiences of subtle moments that in her opinion are often taken for granted, mostly sensations through touch and scent. The curiosity to find ways to prolong these moments are usually the starting  point of her works, often resulting in simple and playful installations or instruments.

Recent exhibitions include participation in the group exhibition Making Sense at Ásmundarsalur Gallery, Reykjavík.

Yajing Yi

Born in 1990 in Guangxi, China, she Graduated with a Master’s degree from the Department of Environmental Design at Tama Art University in Japan . Yi is active as an artist in China and Japan. Her major solo exhibitions include:“ Inner Landscape  Filling the Void” at Hiroshige Gallery (Tokyo, Japan, 2019), “Inner Landscape” at Meisyakan gallery (Ningbo, China, 2021), “It is in vain to fantasize a wilderness” at TAIHE  Art Space (Beijing, China, 2023), “Shadows of a trace” at BankART KAIKO (Yokohama, Japan, 2024).

Her artistic expressions span installation, graphic art and video art. Through the use of commonplace materials like transparent tape, resin, and straws, she captures the delicate nuances of “nature,” striving to harmonize the “natural” and the “unnatural,” while redefining the essence of “nature.”

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Exhibition title:​「呼応する / Koō-suru」
Dates: ​​​9^th November 2024 (Sat) – 14^th November 2024 (Sun)
Opened on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
Opening hours: ​11:00-17:00（no entry after 16:30）
Admission: ​​Free
Venue:​​​ Aizumi Art Museum
Adress: ​​​2-5 Aijucho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Artists:​​
Ismaïl Bahri, Maki Ueda, Mouna Karray, Sunna Svavarsdóttir, Yajing Yi, Þorsteinn Eyfjörð Þórarinsson (Sound Performance)
Curators:
Anqi Li, Taniguchi Asuka, Ghada Hadil Ben Fredj, Katrin Bjoerg Gunnarsdottir, Rochio Cruz Toranzo
Videographer: ​Sijia Luo
Archive: ​​Su Yue
Main Visual / Design: Keita Shimamura
Organized by: Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
Supported by: Embassy of Iceland, Tokyo