Poetry Light Stool evokes the spirit of Fluxus, the intermedia movement that encouraged artmaking to be simple, fun, and address everyday life. Aki Sasamoto does just that with this ironic work that revolves around found objects, namely a four-legged wooden stool to which she attached four wheels. Coiling above is a goose-neck cable that rises up and culminates in a globe lamp. The artist clothed the glowing orb with a pair of ladies’ panties. Sasamoto exposes what we hide—namely apparel that is revealed in private by the wearer and only visible to those who might be present during (un)dressing. The old saying defines identity as skin deep. Sasamoto thus participates in today’s questioning about race, gender, and identity plumage, which we conceal and reveal.
Aki Sasamoto is an artist whose mediums include performance, sculpture, dance, and whatever other form it takes to get her ideas across. She often collaborates with scientists, scholars, and other artists in the visual arts, music, and dance. She plays multiple roles as performer, dancer, sculptor, writer, and director. Her work has been presented both in performing as well as visual art venues, in white box galleries, and black box theaters, as well as in offbeat public sites, in Tokyo, New York and Europe.
Walking Through is one of a series of videos—sometimes humorous, often absurd—that record the artist’s performative interactions with objects in a particular site...
This artwork was part of a group of projects presented in the Japanese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2013...
Filmed underwater, this is the third video in Nguyen-Hatsushiba’s “Memorial Project” series which began in 2001...
Tanaka’s unique understanding of objects and materials is reflected in the four photographs that document his Process of Blowing Flour ...
Naoya Hatakeyama’s series Rikuzentakata (2011) documents the devastating aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan...
Edinburgh Castle on the Bin Bag features a model of the Edinburgh castle constructed by using shiny black cards placed on top of an open, full black plastic trash bag...
Naoya Hatakeyama’s series Rikuzentakata (2011) documents the devastating aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan...
Naoya Hatakeyama’s series Rikuzentakata (2011) documents the devastating aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan...
Tectonic Model is made from a number of leather bound books piled up in different formations that resemble architecture on top of a sawhorse desk...
Naoya Hatakeyama’s series Rikuzentakata (2011) documents the devastating aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan...
Naoya Hatakeyama’s series Rikuzentakata (2011) documents the devastating aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan...