Soul Searching
MUSEUM MACAN SHOWCASES A SERIES OF POWERFUL INSTALLATIONS TO REFLECT AND CONTEMPLATE THROUGH “CHIHARU SHIOTA: THE SOUL TREMBLES”
As one of the leading Japanese artists, Chiharu Shiota is well-known for her series of powerful installations consisting of threads primarily in red and black strung across entire spaces. Particularly, through the collection and entanglement of commonplace items like shoes, keys, mattresses, chairs, and clothes in enormous thread constructs, she has revolutionized the concepts of memory and consciousness. In addition to presenting intangible emotions in her installations, she also investigates the idea of a “presence in the absence” in her works.
On this note, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara (Museum MACAN) has recently unveiled its latest major exhibition titled “Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles.” This is essentially a major exhibition that takes over all of the museum’s galleries and includes some of Chiharu Shiota’s most iconic allencompassing works.
“This is my first solo exhibition in Indonesia.
I want to connect with the people in Jakarta and for them to experience something different from their daily lives,” explains Chiharu Shiota. “I think art is an important part of our lives, and I would be honored if you could see my artworks of the past 30 years and feel the sensation of your soul trembling.”
Curated by Mami Kataoka, Director of Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, the exhibition features more than a hundred works from almost thirty years of the artist’s practice since the 1990s, incorporating largescale installations, sculpture, video performance, photography, and set design. Exploring notions of social and cultural identity based on ethnicity, nationality, and religion, as well as universal themes like walls, windows, borders, absence, and existence, Shiota’s work gives form to human consciousness and nonphysical experiences, such as memories, thoughts, fears, dreams, and silence.
“This is an exhibition that must be experienced in person, as it is difficult to describe the total experience of encountering Chiharu Shiota’s work.
Her installations are breathtaking, enveloping and all-encompassing – they open up a space for viewers to reflect on their own lives and contemplate very intimate ideas about the soul, emotions, and existence,” elaborates Aaron Seeto, Director of Museum MACAN. “Chiharu Shiota’s work is distinctive as she gives shape to the auras and energies of things that possess no physical presence, such as things that only exist in memories and dreams.”
As part of a global exhibition tour organized by Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, “Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles” will run until April 30, 2023, with strict health and safety protocols at the museum. As a final touch, the exhibition is accompanied by a dedicated area in the site of Children’s Art Space for visitors to reflect, play, and take part in a growing display of objects and stories.