Artist:
Motohiko Odani
Title:
New Born 'Halo'
Year:
2011
Adress:
IINO Building
www,theculturetrip.com:
‘I’m interested in how people recover from loss. I’ve been fascinated by [the concept of the] ‘phantom limb’, a neurological phenomenon that people experience after losing a body part to amputation or surgery – they feel pain or tickling despite no longer having that limb or organ. The impression is so real that the patient feels like the missing part is still attached to the body.’
Phantom limb has been one of Odani’s major themes for years, but after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, it resonates even more as a creative inspiration. One of the works that embodies the concept of phantom limb is, ‘A Cosmic Traveler of Blindness,’ which is a three-panel video piece showing different images of a hand moving in dark water. One hand moves like an inchworm, while another randomly touches rocks shaped like ears and hands. The third hand wears a motion sensor, which blinks as the hand punches the bottom of the water. All of these hands move purposefully, seeking reaffirmation of their existence, which can be confirmed only through making contact with something other than itself, embodied in the notion of, ‘I feel therefore I am.’
What’s the concept of your Depth of the Body show?
‘As you go through the gallery space, you will see a variety of body parts. They are scattered around, but the entire exhibition represents a whole body; a fragmented body is not…as unusual as it sounds where I come from.’
Why is that so?
‘For instance, there are a number of historical cases in Japan where Buddhist statues and temples, largely wooden, were destroyed by fires and natural catastrophes, later to be restored. Being prone to such disasters, restoration was a common practice, but what makes it intriguing is that people used the remains that survived the disaster, integrating old objects with new while using the same material. The deliverables are quite grotesque – far from aesthetic perfection – but I suppose such transformation was a crucial process in their collective recovery. Along the way, we’ve not only developed tolerance for strange and unusual body images, but also fascination toward imperfection, of which I find undercurrents in Japanese and Asian culture.’
Do you find your Asian background influencing your works?
‘Sculptures in Western art are devoted to replicating the human body as accurately as possible, from head to toe. But I think the notion of sculpture in the East is quite different; it’s not so concerned about realism. I’m very mindful about this when I create my works.’
www.albertzbenda.com:
Odani’s works are comprised of complex layers of meaning that defy a singular interpretation, as the artist draws inspiration from various sources including horror and sci-fi films, Japanese folklore, Buddhism, and Futurism. His skillful handling of unorthodox materials and his ability to extract beauty from the grotesque has won him acclaim both in Japan and abroad. In 2003, at the age of 31, he was selected as one of two artists to represent Japan at the Venice Biennale, and in 2010 the Mori Art Museum devoted their entire space to Phantom Limb, an exhibition of new and previous work.
In Depth of the Body, Odani challenges his audience by revealing the illusory nature of the senses and blurring the dichotomies of organic and artificial, perception and reality. The genesis of the show is in part inspired by recent events; the 2011 Fukushima disaster, with both natural and man-made causes, shattered confidence in institutions that had previously seemed infallible in Japan. The exhibition is comprised of four series – New Born, A Cosmic Traveler of Blindness, Skeleton, and Terminal Impact - each occupying its own room in the gallery.
In New Born, a sculptural series that began in 2007, Odani creates imaginary creatures from bones, alluding to life that existed prior to humans or that may exist beyond this earth. The resulting forms, resembling delicate structures frozen in tight spirals, are both primeval and alien, demonstrating the power of natural evolution and the impact of sudden events to cause physical transformation.
A Cosmic Traveler of Blindness, a never-before-seen video installation, follows a sightless man as he drifts through an underwater abyss, tracing the contours of sculptures cast from his own face, hands, and feet - "the mere shadow of the body parts,' as the artist explains – occasionally lit by the eerie glow of red LED lights. Beyond referencing the complex neurological processes behind sight and touch, Odani reflects upon the effects of losing our sensory organs, and the ways in which the human body transforms to compensate for diminished perception.
Skeleton - originally shown at the 2003 Venice Biennale and reimagined for this presentation- captures a precarious moment frozen in time as the piece resists gravity as if imbued with primordial, supernatural power. The strong vertical form resembles a stalactite or megalith, while the presence of aluminum streaks and bubbles give the impression of a science experiment gone awry. This fusion of organic and synthetic qualities simultaneously celebrates the harsh beauty of ancient forms and the imposing power of growth.
Odani blurs the division between humans and machines in his multi-screen installation, Terminal Impact. The videos follow artist Mari Katayama as she performs mundane tasks with the aid of complex apparatus and shadowy figures known as kuroko, or traditional bunraku stagehands. This immersive installation acts as a 'video sculpture,' a unique intermingling of film and physical objects that envelops the viewer in the skewed world that Odani has created.
www.albertzbenda.com:
Motohiko Odani was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan. He received an MFA from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1997, where he currently teaches. His works have been exhibited widely throughout Europe and Asia.
In 2003, he was selected by curator Yuko Hasegawa to represent Japan at the Venice Biennale. He has also participated in the Lyon Biennale (2000), Istanbul Biennale (2001), and Gwangju Biennale (2002). Major solo exhibitions include Motohiko Odani: Hollow (2009-2010) at Maison Hermes, Tokyo and Phantom Limb (P-House), a 2010-2011 traveling exhibition at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Shizuoka; Takamatsu City Museum of Art, Kagawa and the Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, Kumamoto. Odani’s work is included in the collections of the Asia Society Museum, New York, NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan; The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan; and the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan, among others .
‘I’m interested in how people recover from loss. I’ve been fascinated by [the concept of the] ‘phantom limb’, a neurological phenomenon that people experience after losing a body part to amputation or surgery – they feel pain or tickling despite no longer having that limb or organ. The impression is so real that the patient feels like the missing part is still attached to the body.’
Phantom limb has been one of Odani’s major themes for years, but after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, it resonates even more as a creative inspiration. One of the works that embodies the concept of phantom limb is, ‘A Cosmic Traveler of Blindness,’ which is a three-panel video piece showing different images of a hand moving in dark water. One hand moves like an inchworm, while another randomly touches rocks shaped like ears and hands. The third hand wears a motion sensor, which blinks as the hand punches the bottom of the water. All of these hands move purposefully, seeking reaffirmation of their existence, which can be confirmed only through making contact with something other than itself, embodied in the notion of, ‘I feel therefore I am.’
What’s the concept of your Depth of the Body show?
‘As you go through the gallery space, you will see a variety of body parts. They are scattered around, but the entire exhibition represents a whole body; a fragmented body is not…as unusual as it sounds where I come from.’
Why is that so?
‘For instance, there are a number of historical cases in Japan where Buddhist statues and temples, largely wooden, were destroyed by fires and natural catastrophes, later to be restored. Being prone to such disasters, restoration was a common practice, but what makes it intriguing is that people used the remains that survived the disaster, integrating old objects with new while using the same material. The deliverables are quite grotesque – far from aesthetic perfection – but I suppose such transformation was a crucial process in their collective recovery. Along the way, we’ve not only developed tolerance for strange and unusual body images, but also fascination toward imperfection, of which I find undercurrents in Japanese and Asian culture.’
Do you find your Asian background influencing your works?
‘Sculptures in Western art are devoted to replicating the human body as accurately as possible, from head to toe. But I think the notion of sculpture in the East is quite different; it’s not so concerned about realism. I’m very mindful about this when I create my works.’
www.albertzbenda.com:
Odani’s works are comprised of complex layers of meaning that defy a singular interpretation, as the artist draws inspiration from various sources including horror and sci-fi films, Japanese folklore, Buddhism, and Futurism. His skillful handling of unorthodox materials and his ability to extract beauty from the grotesque has won him acclaim both in Japan and abroad. In 2003, at the age of 31, he was selected as one of two artists to represent Japan at the Venice Biennale, and in 2010 the Mori Art Museum devoted their entire space to Phantom Limb, an exhibition of new and previous work.
In Depth of the Body, Odani challenges his audience by revealing the illusory nature of the senses and blurring the dichotomies of organic and artificial, perception and reality. The genesis of the show is in part inspired by recent events; the 2011 Fukushima disaster, with both natural and man-made causes, shattered confidence in institutions that had previously seemed infallible in Japan. The exhibition is comprised of four series – New Born, A Cosmic Traveler of Blindness, Skeleton, and Terminal Impact - each occupying its own room in the gallery.
In New Born, a sculptural series that began in 2007, Odani creates imaginary creatures from bones, alluding to life that existed prior to humans or that may exist beyond this earth. The resulting forms, resembling delicate structures frozen in tight spirals, are both primeval and alien, demonstrating the power of natural evolution and the impact of sudden events to cause physical transformation.
A Cosmic Traveler of Blindness, a never-before-seen video installation, follows a sightless man as he drifts through an underwater abyss, tracing the contours of sculptures cast from his own face, hands, and feet - "the mere shadow of the body parts,' as the artist explains – occasionally lit by the eerie glow of red LED lights. Beyond referencing the complex neurological processes behind sight and touch, Odani reflects upon the effects of losing our sensory organs, and the ways in which the human body transforms to compensate for diminished perception.
Skeleton - originally shown at the 2003 Venice Biennale and reimagined for this presentation- captures a precarious moment frozen in time as the piece resists gravity as if imbued with primordial, supernatural power. The strong vertical form resembles a stalactite or megalith, while the presence of aluminum streaks and bubbles give the impression of a science experiment gone awry. This fusion of organic and synthetic qualities simultaneously celebrates the harsh beauty of ancient forms and the imposing power of growth.
Odani blurs the division between humans and machines in his multi-screen installation, Terminal Impact. The videos follow artist Mari Katayama as she performs mundane tasks with the aid of complex apparatus and shadowy figures known as kuroko, or traditional bunraku stagehands. This immersive installation acts as a 'video sculpture,' a unique intermingling of film and physical objects that envelops the viewer in the skewed world that Odani has created.
www.albertzbenda.com:
Motohiko Odani was born and raised in Kyoto, Japan. He received an MFA from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1997, where he currently teaches. His works have been exhibited widely throughout Europe and Asia.
In 2003, he was selected by curator Yuko Hasegawa to represent Japan at the Venice Biennale. He has also participated in the Lyon Biennale (2000), Istanbul Biennale (2001), and Gwangju Biennale (2002). Major solo exhibitions include Motohiko Odani: Hollow (2009-2010) at Maison Hermes, Tokyo and Phantom Limb (P-House), a 2010-2011 traveling exhibition at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Shizuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, Shizuoka; Takamatsu City Museum of Art, Kagawa and the Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, Kumamoto. Odani’s work is included in the collections of the Asia Society Museum, New York, NY; Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan; The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan; and the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan, among others .