Apichatpong Weerasethakul "Solarium"
SCAI The Bathhouse
Until May 25
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Artists
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Through the effect of flickering light in an expanded timeframe, Apichatpong Weerasethakul's works evoke unsettling psychological nuances relegated to the corners of the mind, such as solitary dreams, narratives of close relatives, and suppressed collective memories. Ghostly images trace historical pathways to emerge in the present, infiltrating the stretched screen of time, wandering between darkness and oblivion, light and memory, transcending people's daily lives.
Inspired by horror films he was enthralled by in his childhood, Weerasethakul's new work "Solarium" (2023) is a two-channel video installation projected onto both sides of glass. It recreates the Thai film "The Hollow-eyed Ghost" (1981), depicting a mad doctor who stole patients' eyeballs to save his blind wife, while a man wanders in darkness searching for his eyeballs, soon to be destroyed by the rising sun. On the other screen, images evoke the radiant brilliance of the sun and the warmth of invisible light passing through layers of overlapping leaves. The exhibition space is composed of light and sound movements and diffusions, reflected in the glass structure placed centrally as a screen, with holographic film on the glass conjuring up ghosts, animating the physical space of the viewers. Viewers and subjects interchange, as our visual perceptions oscillate between the realms of what is captured and what lies beyond, reflecting the fluctuations of one's existence like a mirror.
Furthermore, this exhibition marks the first public unveiling of Weerasethakul's drawings. His exploration of light and shadow over five years culminated in a series of monochrome watercolor drawings reminiscent of the scenes in "Solarium," featuring studies of light, shadow, and eyeballs. Additionally, "Boxes of Time" (2024) compiles a five-part sculptural work documenting places visited by Weerasethakul in recent years, utilizing a photographic archive. Each part consists of 52 photographs, overlaying multiple moments that continue to exist in memory through the artist's lyrical and introspective lens, revealing the delicate and rich textures of sunlight.
This exhibition marks Weerasethakul's fifth solo exhibition and his return to SCAI The Bathhouse after seven years.
Inspired by horror films he was enthralled by in his childhood, Weerasethakul's new work "Solarium" (2023) is a two-channel video installation projected onto both sides of glass. It recreates the Thai film "The Hollow-eyed Ghost" (1981), depicting a mad doctor who stole patients' eyeballs to save his blind wife, while a man wanders in darkness searching for his eyeballs, soon to be destroyed by the rising sun. On the other screen, images evoke the radiant brilliance of the sun and the warmth of invisible light passing through layers of overlapping leaves. The exhibition space is composed of light and sound movements and diffusions, reflected in the glass structure placed centrally as a screen, with holographic film on the glass conjuring up ghosts, animating the physical space of the viewers. Viewers and subjects interchange, as our visual perceptions oscillate between the realms of what is captured and what lies beyond, reflecting the fluctuations of one's existence like a mirror.
Furthermore, this exhibition marks the first public unveiling of Weerasethakul's drawings. His exploration of light and shadow over five years culminated in a series of monochrome watercolor drawings reminiscent of the scenes in "Solarium," featuring studies of light, shadow, and eyeballs. Additionally, "Boxes of Time" (2024) compiles a five-part sculptural work documenting places visited by Weerasethakul in recent years, utilizing a photographic archive. Each part consists of 52 photographs, overlaying multiple moments that continue to exist in memory through the artist's lyrical and introspective lens, revealing the delicate and rich textures of sunlight.
This exhibition marks Weerasethakul's fifth solo exhibition and his return to SCAI The Bathhouse after seven years.
Schedule Now in session | Mar 16 (Sat) 2024-May 25 (Sat) 2024 27 days left Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | https://www.scaithebathhouse.com/en/exhibitions/2024/03/apichatpong_weerasethakul_solarium/ | ||||
| Venue | SCAI The Bathhouse https://www.scaithebathhouse.com/en/ | ||||
| Location | Kashiwayu-Ato, 6-1-23 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0001 | ||||
| Access | 6 minute walk from the South exit of Nippori Station on the Nippori-Toneri Liner, JR or Keisei line. 10 minute walk from exit 1 at Nezu Station on the Chiyoda line. | ||||
| Phone | 03-3821-1144 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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