Journal Category: Scrapbook

9 September 2022

On 24 August 2022, during the exhibition period of GROWING SPACE at Batting LALALA Midori (バッティングららら), we co-hosted a workshop in collaboration with Sakura Kids International (サクラキッズインターナショナル). The session was led by one of the exhibiting artists, Mitsunori Kimura (木村充伯), who guided both children and adults in creating their own sculptural works.

Acting as an incubator for Kimura’s upcoming exhibition later this year at GROWING SPACE, the workshop centred on the making of imaginary living creatures. Working with a variety of commonly found domestic materials like foam, cotton, rug, and toothpicks, drawing inspiration from the ongoing exhibition to craft sculptural interpretations of animals and human forms.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Sakura Kids International and its teachers for their coordination; to the staff at Batting LALALA Midori for their kind support on the day; and to all participants who joined the workshop. It was a pleasure to engage with the local community and bring people together — something that has been greatly missed during the pandemic. While we continue to observe necessary health measures, we hope the workshop provided an enjoyable and meaningful experience for everyone involved.

A heartfelt thank you to all who took part. We look forward to exhibiting many of these whimsical and imaginative works at GROWING SPACE.

23 August 2022

We would like to present a series of photographs offering a glimpse into the preparation and installation process behind GROWING SPACE (2022) in Nagoya (名古屋), Japan.

The first phase of the project GROWING SPACE was completed in March 2021, when Riko Yasumiya (安宮理子) installed a chandelier that resembles a skeletal model. GROWING SPACE (2022) marks the inaugural exhibition at Batting LALALA Midori’s (バッティングららら) exhibition space of the same name. Coinciding with this year’s Aichi Triennale 2022, Still Alive, the exhibition outlines the relationship between nature, humans and animals, centring on the concepts of coexistence and escapism, featuring a variety of artistic practices, including wooden sculptures by Mitsunori Kimura (木村充伯), landscape photography and moving images by Luc Schol, and interactive installations by Riko Yasumiya.

As the curator of the exhibition, I would like to take this opportunity to share some of the thought processes behind its realisation. From the standpoint of both curator and producer, the challenging aspect and perhaps also the charming aspect of this space is, first and foremost, that this is not your conventional white cube gallery space. During the development of the exhibition, one of the many things that we had to take into consideration was that, there would be streams of visitors coming in and out constantly, especially during the summer holiday period, in contrast to the relatively quieter atmosphere of traditional galleries and museums. Another key that we had to confront was that the audience is not your usual art-going crowd. How could we curate and produce an exhibition that remains accessible without compromising its artistic and conceptual integrity? How much compromise is acceptable? And, vitally, how could we interweave the artworks with a space that fundamentally functions as a lobby, transforming it into a site of imagination and play without degrading the works to banal or vacuous decoration on the wall? Naturally, safety precautions specific to the venue also had to be carefully addressed.

During the first phase of the project last year, we set out with the mission of surprising regular visitors to the batting centre. I recall hearing an Icelandic designer say in a podcast: “One of the currencies of innovation is being the first, otherwise you are just like the other dudes.” This is a sentiment I wholeheartedly agree with.

We wanted to introduce an element of surprise for those encountering the project. In many ways, “surprise” can be a double-edged sword, it often means placing people outside their comfort zones, which can, at times, be rather uncomfortable and unsettling. We sought to challenge not only ourselves but our audience too, not in a way that is offensive or distressing obviously, but in a manner that encourages reflection. We hoped that GROWING SPACE would be more than a mere presentation of artworks, even if it creates a degree of discomfort, if it prompts visitors to pause, think, or reconsider their perception of what a batting centre can be, then that, in itself, I guess, is another currency banked for us.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Kimura-san and Yasumiya-san for their dedication in realising the works on site; to Luc for his patience and collaboration throughout the entire preparation process; to Yamanobu (山信建設) Construction for assembling the exhibition; to Tracy Truong for the beautiful graphic design; to Shoko Natori (名取祥子) for translating the English text; and to Hémash (エマッシュ) and JILL D’ART GALLERY (ジルダールギャラリー) for their invaluable support. This exhibition would not have been possible without your contributions. My deepest gratitude to all of you, and I look forward to the next phase of the project.

21 August 2019

In the summer of 2019, SYNONYM launched its first project space hidden away in Nakamura Kōen (中村公園), Nagoya (名古屋), an area known more for its shōgun history than for its tourism, art galleries or creative initiatives. Working with local architectural design studio mille-feuille, we transformed an old abandoned pachinko prize-exchange point, located on the ground floor of a 40-year-old residential building erected during the mid-Shōwa (昭和) era. The project space hopes to breathe fresh air into the local area and invite visitors to step into a somewhat unexpected world rid of distraction.

Evolved around the concept of geometrical shapes and layers, amidst an implementation of different materials like concrete, wood and glass, whilst optimising the limited natural light, the space is divided into two separate exhibiting segments connected by a set of steps. Determined to keep the heritage of the Kimura building alive, traces of history can still be witnessed in the exposed and decayed ceiling, drawing out a distinctive contrast to the minimal interior.

Operating considerably differently from a conventional and commercial art gallery, SYNONYM’s online platform engages audiences with works and stories of the creator, whereas the offline space morphs ideas into physical and real-life experiences, open to curatorial collaboration aiming to blur the boundaries across disciplines and sectors. We initiate, direct, and manage curatorial projects, presentations, and exhibitions.