Exhibition/event has ended.
Nodoka Odawara "Overcoming/Sculpting Modernity : Aomori Snow Country Edition"
Aomori Contemporary Art Centre
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Nodoka Odawara
*The exhibition period has been shortened. (Originally 2021/12/15–2022/2/13).
The Aomori Contemporary Art Center (ACAC) celebrated its 20th anniversary in December 2021. Since opening its doors, there have been numerous open-air sculptures produced and installed at ACAC, which have become a loved quality of the Center. Additionally, the city of Aomori houses many peace sculptures and commemorative monuments. These became an intricate part of the public space, displaying the historical incidents of the area. Some became tourist attractions, while others stand quietly as if forgotten. Perhaps because they became such a natural part of the cityscape, there is very little thought given as to who constructed the various pieces, with what intentions, and why they were installed there. As a result, there have not been enough opportunities to think over the changes society goes through after they have been installed, or enough discussion surrounding sculptures.
Departing from these circumstances, in 2021, ACAC began a long-term, multi-year project to look at these monuments from diverse angles and from a current perspective, beginning with an open-air sculpture ‘given to us’. In 2020, as a preparative lecture for the project (Creative Commons vol.1), we held a talk between three individuals – a local historian who is versed in the histories dispersed throughout Aomori City, an artist who has witnessed the installation of open-air sculptures at ACAC, and a sculptor/critic who not only creates works but also writes and publishes on the various discourses surrounding the sculpture.
In 2021, Odawara Nodoka researched the open-air sculptures around Aomori Prefecture to examine them in relation to their historical and social contexts. This solo exhibition presents the result of this investigation. Odawara approaches sculpture as a medium that reflects the society in which it was made, as well as reflecting current society through how it is viewed today. Through producing work and text, she takes a critical approach to the subject in order to bring out the hidden issues within modern Japanese history. This time, she focused on sculptors associated with the Aomori region, such as Okuma Ujihiro and his work, “Death March in Snow of Hakkōda Mountains (Fifth Infantry Regiment Memorial)”, Takamura Kotaro and his work, “The Statue of Maidens”, and others such as Kosaka Keiji, a Noheji native who was also Takamura’s assistant. Attention is also paid to a unique aspect of open-air sculpture in Aomori: the fact that the sculptures cannot be seen properly during the winter months owing to heavy snowfall. As Odawara unravels and layers the sculptures and memorials “standing here” in this majestic mountainous landform, our eyes will be opened, through the past, to the present in which we live.
Venue: Gallery A
[Related event]
1. Nodoka Odawara Opening Artist Talk (in Japanese)
Date: December 25, 14:00-15:00
*Reservation required for participation at the venue only (Application deadline: December 23)
Admission: Free
Venue: Exhibition Hall Lounge
2. Lecture / Talk (in Japanese)
Date: March 20, 14:30-16:00
Venue: ZOOM Webinar (Also streaming on the museum's YouTube channel)
Fee: Free (Registration required)
*Please visit the official website for details and registration.
The Aomori Contemporary Art Center (ACAC) celebrated its 20th anniversary in December 2021. Since opening its doors, there have been numerous open-air sculptures produced and installed at ACAC, which have become a loved quality of the Center. Additionally, the city of Aomori houses many peace sculptures and commemorative monuments. These became an intricate part of the public space, displaying the historical incidents of the area. Some became tourist attractions, while others stand quietly as if forgotten. Perhaps because they became such a natural part of the cityscape, there is very little thought given as to who constructed the various pieces, with what intentions, and why they were installed there. As a result, there have not been enough opportunities to think over the changes society goes through after they have been installed, or enough discussion surrounding sculptures.
Departing from these circumstances, in 2021, ACAC began a long-term, multi-year project to look at these monuments from diverse angles and from a current perspective, beginning with an open-air sculpture ‘given to us’. In 2020, as a preparative lecture for the project (Creative Commons vol.1), we held a talk between three individuals – a local historian who is versed in the histories dispersed throughout Aomori City, an artist who has witnessed the installation of open-air sculptures at ACAC, and a sculptor/critic who not only creates works but also writes and publishes on the various discourses surrounding the sculpture.
In 2021, Odawara Nodoka researched the open-air sculptures around Aomori Prefecture to examine them in relation to their historical and social contexts. This solo exhibition presents the result of this investigation. Odawara approaches sculpture as a medium that reflects the society in which it was made, as well as reflecting current society through how it is viewed today. Through producing work and text, she takes a critical approach to the subject in order to bring out the hidden issues within modern Japanese history. This time, she focused on sculptors associated with the Aomori region, such as Okuma Ujihiro and his work, “Death March in Snow of Hakkōda Mountains (Fifth Infantry Regiment Memorial)”, Takamura Kotaro and his work, “The Statue of Maidens”, and others such as Kosaka Keiji, a Noheji native who was also Takamura’s assistant. Attention is also paid to a unique aspect of open-air sculpture in Aomori: the fact that the sculptures cannot be seen properly during the winter months owing to heavy snowfall. As Odawara unravels and layers the sculptures and memorials “standing here” in this majestic mountainous landform, our eyes will be opened, through the past, to the present in which we live.
Venue: Gallery A
[Related event]
1. Nodoka Odawara Opening Artist Talk (in Japanese)
Date: December 25, 14:00-15:00
*Reservation required for participation at the venue only (Application deadline: December 23)
Admission: Free
Venue: Exhibition Hall Lounge
2. Lecture / Talk (in Japanese)
Date: March 20, 14:30-16:00
Venue: ZOOM Webinar (Also streaming on the museum's YouTube channel)
Fee: Free (Registration required)
*Please visit the official website for details and registration.
Schedule | Dec 25 (Sat) 2021-Jan 23 (Sun) 2022 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||||||
| Website | https://acac-aomori.jp/program/odawara/ | ||||||
| Venue | Aomori Contemporary Art Centre http://acac-aomori.jp/ | ||||||
| Location | 152-6 Yamazaki, Goshizawa, Aomori-shi, Aomori 030-0134 | ||||||
| Access | From the East exit of Aomori Station on the JR Tsugaru and Ou lines, take the bus for 40 minutes and get off at Aomori Public University. | ||||||
| Phone | 017-764-5200 | ||||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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