Taro Komiya + Toshiaki Hicosaka "Jimen Culture"

VOU

Finished

Artists

Taro Komiya, Toshiaki Hicosaka

Both Taro Komiya and Toshiaki Hicosaka, born in the 1980s, have attempted to engage with various phenomena in the world through their unique approaches. They explore the phenomena generated through their individual processes and unfold expressions that function as materials for sensing and contemplating others.

The title of this exhibition, "Jimen Culture," emerged casually in a conversation between the two. Initially, they became intrigued by the dissonance between the term "jimen" (ground) formed by the connection of "ji" (地) and "men" (面) and the image associated with the term "daichi," which refers to the grandeur and importance of the earth and nature for human activities. Undoubtedly, "daichi" can be interchangeably expressed as "chikyu" (earth), and its magnificence and nature are crucial for human existence. On the other hand, "ground" seems to have uncertainty in the target it denotes. "Jimen" is both a "certain existence" underfoot and an "uncertain existence," with humans having a history of nurturing culture while entwined with this "jimen."

The artists' thoughts expanded further after encountering two episodes related to "Jimen Culture." One was the story heard from the VOU store manager about "Michael Jackson sleeping on a thin mattress." The other was information obtained from researcher Kiyoyama about the "formation of the Kumogaike reclaimed land." This exhibition will showcase newly developed works that emerged from the intersection of these episodes and the themes each artist holds, along with their previous works. Additionally, during the exhibition period, there are plans to have happenings with guest artists.

Schedule

Dec 11 (Mon) 2023-Jan 5 (Fri) 2024