Press Release
August 2023

Opening September 16Soh Souen, Your Body is the Shoreline√K Contemporary is proud to announce the opening of emerging artist, Soh Souen’s solo exhibition, Your Body is theShoreline.

On view from September 16 (Sat) through to October 14 (Sat), the exhibition centers itself upon the ideas examined withinrecent performances by the artist. Presenting a comprehensive range of works, from installations to paintings that regard
ideas of identity and the relationship between the body and self, the exhibition will offer an extensive insight into the artist’sevolving body of work.

Several performances will be held during the course of the exhibition. On the opening day, September 16 (Sat), aperformance with Sara Milio, the Italian, Amsterdam, and Bali-based artist and Soh Souen’s remote-based project
collaborator since 2021, will be held. Furthermore, every day from September 22 to October 12 from 3 pm to 7 pm, the artist
will perform Eggsercise, whereby the artist continually supports an egg, a symbol of life, with his body. A performance thatenacts the fragility of life through the body, Eggsercise brings us to question ideas regarding the nature of life, the body, andnotions on what defines the boundaries between the self, others, and the world.

The artist’s installation work, Bellybutton and Breathing, a work composed of 15 navels displayed across 15 screens withsounds of various breathing, will also be on view on the B1F. Raw and intimate, these sounds, which were seldom held
during the isolation period, had a particular impact during this unprecedented time. With a desire to promote self-reflection
and reconsider their place within the present, we urge viewers to please take this opportunity to experience the artist’s works.

Further highlights include a 2F display of the artist’s iconic paintings themed around the body. From Why do I have twoPress Release
August 2023

hands, eyes, and nipples on my both sides? to A Whole Painting Filled with Holes and Bleaching, a piece that traces theartist’s silhouette with bleach, the exhibition will feature works centered around the concepts regarding the body and its
physicality.
From performances to installations and paintings, Your Body is the Shoreline will offer a comprehensive spectrum of theemerging artist’s works.

nPerformance｜Eggsercise on View Every Day from September 22
One of the many highlights of Your Body is the Shoreline are itsperformances.
On September 16 (Sat), the opening day of the exhibition, Soh Souen andItalian, Amsterdam, and Bali-based artist, Sara Milio will perform The Egg.
Furthermore, from September 22 (Friday) until the final day of the exhibition,
October 14 (Sat), Soh Souen will perform Eggsercise, for 4 consecutive
hours every day from 3 pm to 7 pm until the end of the exhibition. AnEggsercise, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (2022)

inaugural challenge for the artist, these consecutive performances open new doors tonovel experiences for, both, the artist and viewers alike. Visitors are encouraged to take this chance to experience the uniquetension that arises from these acts that juxtapose the fragility of an egg with a body.

<< Sara Milio | Visual Artist >>Sara Milio (1996) is an interdisciplinary artist born in Rome, Italy. She is prominently working with the mediums ofperformance, video and installation. Since receiving her BA in Fine Arts from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in 2019, she has
been holding her studio practice and exhibiting in Amsterdam and has recently shifted her base between there and Bali,
Indonesia where she was raised.
Instagram｜https://www.instagram.com/sara_milio/

Performance Dates ｜September 16 (Sat), 3 pm -《The Egg》by Sara Milio and Soh Souen
September 22 (Fri) to October 14 (Sat), 3 pm to 7 pm 《Eggsercise》by Soh Souen

nPaintings |An Exhibition of Works Featuring Approx. 10 Paintings

on the Body
The exhibition will feature a series of paintings that explore ideas regarding thebody.
Although the boundary between self and other appears evident, there is no
particular form that physically defines this difference. Nevertheless, the “body” iscommonly perceived as its own, “individual” form. If there is no true boundary

A Whole Painting Filled with Holes (2023)
Oil on cotton, 162 x 130 cm

Press Release
August 2023

that defines this perceived difference, thenwhat is the ‘body’ in which the ‘self’ exists?
These are the questions Soh Souen
addresses in his paintings.
(On view from 3 pm to 7pm)

Bleaching #3, (2023)
Bleach, black cloth, 221×182 cm

nWhy do I have two hands, eyes, and nipples on myboth sides? (2023)
Pastel on cotton, 194×162 cm

Installation | Bellybutton and Breathing

The installation, Bellybutton and Breathing will be on display on thebasement floor of the gallery. A symbol of maternal birth and the primal
origin of the self, the navel remains as a scar and vessel for breathing.
An exploration of the relationship between the “outer world” and the self,
the work presents the various navels and breaths of 15 people through a
network of monitors spread across the exhibition space.
(On view from 11 am to 7 pm)
Bellybutton and Breathing (Reference Image)nArtist Statement
Your Body is the Shoreline
Why are our bodies shaped this way?
Why do we live in such a fragile body?
What does it mean to use our body to protect something important to us?
Who am "I" and my "body" in the first place?
These questions form the roots of my work.
This exhibition consists of works that address the things and phenomena that signify life, such as the navel
respiration and eggs. Starting with questions on what is regarded as the "self" and the "body", I would like toreflect upon the idea of "life" through the bodies of artists and viewers.
In today's society, there is an assumption that "individuality" is established through the "physical" self, as such,the notion of physicality as defined by the self (i.e. gender, class, etc) has become a commonly held idea.
While this idea may appear progressive, the premise that "I am my body" as implied by the word, "myself",
gives the illusion that we hold complete control over the self, when it is, in truth, comprised of incalculable
otherness. By drawing a line between "the self" and "the other", the delineation of the self can bring rise toloneliness, divides, and conflict.
Whilst paying homage to the aforementioned history of human revolution, this exhibition uses the body, aconcept that is, both, far yet near to us, to explore, examine, and unravel the various wounds and dilemmas
that life brings.
Soh Souen

Press Release
August 2023

n

Artist ｜Soh Souen
Soh Souen is most recognized for his paintings, installations, and performances thatutilize the body as a way to explore the various phenomena of life. From his joint
project with Italian (Amsterdam and Bali-based) artist, Sara Milio, which began during
COVID-19, to his performance with Agathe Naito's work at Ginza Hermès Forum, theartist has been widely active, internationally, in a range of fields. Major exhibitions
include "WINDS OF ARTIST IN RESIDENCE 2022 Tracing the Boundaries – Stone,
Breathing, and Land Reclamation" (Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan),"It's Been Breaking, Still Breaking (Yet Not Broken)" (rin art association, Gunma,Japan), "FATHOM - Chiharu Shiota, Sumi Kanazawa and Soh Souen" (Kyoto Seika

University Terra-S, Kyoto, Japan, scheduled to open November 2023) and more. In 2022, the artist took part in Fukuoka
Asia Art Museum's residency program by invitation.

1995 Born in Fukuoka, Japan
2019 Graduated from College of Art, Kyoto Seika University

Website｜https://soh-souen.com/

nOn the Exhibition

For the occasion of Soh Souen's solo exhibition, we, √K Contemporary, will host an experimental exhibition.
Starting September 22nd, the artist will perform every day, connecting his acts with the gallery, space, andviewers. While these performances will offer a unique opportunity to experience the innate empathy andwarmth of the artist's oeuvre, these fundamentally ephemeral acts pose a challenge to pre-existing ideas
regarding the work of art.

Neither a social statement nor a liberation movement against psychological oppression, Soh Souen'sexpression carries a quiet appeal that explores ideas regarding the boundaries between the ego and non-ego.
During a time when human emotions and desires have become so chaotic and oversaturated, the line between
the conscious and unconscious has grown ambiguous and our perception of life has come to be lawless.
Living in such a time, our genuine interest in Soh Sohen’s ideas has brought us to his works and led us to thisexhibition.
On this occasion, audiences will witness and share the moment as Sou Souen fills and weaves the gap
between the self and the "other" in our gallery space. If we apply this artistic experience in ordinary life andhave the opportunity to understand its benevolence, then we maybe we can see the world with new eyes.

Ichiko Kashima（Director, √K Contemporary）

Press Release
August 2023nExhibition InformationExhibition Title｜Your Body is the Shoreline
Exhibiting Artist｜Soh Souen
Schedule｜

September 16 (Saturday) to October 14 (Saturday), 2023 *Closed Sundays and Mondays
1F & 2F: Performance & Paintings 3 pm to 7 pm
B1F:

Installation 11 am to 7 pm

＊ Please note that the exhibition times vary from the operating hours of the gallery＊ Performances will not be held on September 19 to 21Venue｜√K Contemporary（6 Minamicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo）

Organizer｜√K Contemporary

Exhibition HP｜https://root-k.jp/exhibitions_en/soh-souen-your-body-is-the-shorelinenAbout √K Contemporary√ With an ethos guided by its experience with traditional Japanese art, √K
Contemporary presents art from the early 20th century to the present. Driven by a desire
to innovate, the gallery organizes exhibitions and events that aim to provoke, stimulate,and inspire new thinking. In conserving its acts, the gallery hopes to place and pave its
way toward the future art scene. Designed with these ideas in mind, the 300 sqm gallery
was envisioned as a “gallery from outer space”, where works are presented with newvalues and viewed with new eyes.

Official Website: https://root-k.jp/en
TW: @rk_contemporary | FB: @rootkcontemporary | IG: @rk_contemporary

For all Press & Media Related Inquiries
Contact: Naoko Watanabe, Aisei Tamura√K Contemporary (Managed by SEI-RIN Co.,Ltd.)
6 Minamicho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0836
Email: pr@sei-rin.com｜Tel: (+81) (0)3-6280-8808 | Fax: (+81) (0)3-6280-8809