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Overview

Shinji Ohmaki is known for creating large-scale installations that inquire into the nature ofbeing and disrupt the somatic senses of viewers. He has presented these ambitious works tohigh acclaim not only in Japan but also in many other countries across Asia and Europe. Inaddition, he applies his unparalleled gifts in diverse settings ranging from the performing
arts to projects that revitalize local communities, working with a host of collaborators totransform each site.
Engulfed in one of Ohmaki’s spaces, we find ourselves examining our own presence inthe world from fresh perspectives. By leaving vestiges of ourselves in these spaces, we arrive
at tangible realizations of our own physicality. Whether enveloped in darkness or illuminated by intense light, we are urged to introspectively confront not only our bodies but also
our minds and senses.
Ohmaki contemplates the historical arc that has led contemporary society to its current
state and the issues it now faces, drawing on these reflections as a source of inspiration for
his installations. Ohmaki’s spaces, in which light and darkness play key roles, are infusedwith a sense of primeval life governed by celestial rhythms. This air of the primordial intermingles with the dazzling yet delicate decorative imagery that also features prominently inthe artist’s practice. His imagery reflects the way in which human beings throughout history
have surrounded themselves with abstract patterns derived from nature and, by doing so,have engaged closely with the natural world. Even as they offer astute critiques of contemporary society, Ohmaki’s installations vividly reflect humanity’s fundamental, timeless anduniversal artistic inclinations.
This exhibition is staged dynamically in the largest gallery at the National Art Center,
Tokyo, with a ceiling height of eight meters and floor space of 2,000 square meters. The
installations, which can only be presented in such an expansive venue, resonate with us ona profoundly physical level, evoking a sense of organic integration that we have lost in ourfragmented world. The elements of video, sound, and poetry will be further augmented byperformances in the venue. We invite you to immerse yourself in Ohmaki’s composite art
for the contemporary era.
In closing, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to Shinji Ohmaki for his unstinting efforts toward the realization of this exhibition, and our heartfelt thanks to all the individuals and organizations who have generously cooperated in so many ways.

Shinji Ohmaki—Born in Gifu Prefecture in 1971 and currently lives in Kanagawa Prefecture. Ohmaki’s artistic activity explores the theme and question of “Existence.” The external world involving theenvironment and others, the internal world of memory and consciousness; this is an exploration of the body, which lies in between the boundaries of these worlds, aiming to create abodily experience that captures the ambiguity of how these worlds interact with each otherand move according to space and time.
His major solo exhibitions include Depth of Light (A4 Art Museum, Chengdu), Before andAfter the Horizon (Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art, 2023), Rustle of Existence (Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei, 2020), and Proof of Existence (Hakone Open-Air Museum,Kanagawa, 2012). He has also taken part in the Aichi Triennale and countless other international exhibitions both in Japan and abroad. In recent years, he further explores performanceart, such as Rain (Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater, Nagoya / New National Theater, Tokyo / Happinnes Hill Kota, Sakura / J: COM Kitakyushu Performing Arts Center, Kitakyushu, 2023).
Shinji Ohmaki portrait
Pic by paul barbera / where they create

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Exhibition Highlights

1. Installations Reflecting Ohmaki’s Deepening Psychological Exploration—In addition to the latest version of the series Gravity and Grace, initiated in 2016, this exhibitionis scheduled to present new works rooted in fundamental questions surrounding our reasonsfor living.
The Great East Japan Earthquake, tsunami and Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster ofMarch 11, 2011 had a profound impact on Ohmaki. In Gravity and Grace, Ohmaki interrogatesour society’s attempts to wield the double-edged sword of nuclear power. Meanwhile, in recent
years he has conducted extensive interviews with researchers in various fields of linguistics,
investigating inseparable links between consciousness and language while exploring the natureof being. A new video installation produced during the COVID-19 pandemic is scheduled to beunveiled as a manifestation of this ongoing project. The deepening of Ohmaki’s reflections oncivilization and nature, life and death, over the approximately ten years between the events ofMarch 2011 and the onset of the pandemic are reflected in this exhibition.

Gravity and Grace

Gravity and Grace (detail)Photo courtesy of A4 Art Museum

The Gravity and Grace Series—The exhibition commences with the latest iteration of the Gravity and Grace series, first presented
in 2016. A large vessel carved with a pattern of various plants and animals emits intense light,
casting shadows in the shapes of flora and fauna. Here, Ohmaki responds to unprecedented
human-made disasters caused by nuclear power with light as powerful as 840,000 lumens, which
can be called a symbolic representation of the explosive energy of nuclear fission. With thismesmerizing light, to which viewers are literally drawn like moths to a flame, and the spectacleof people being so captivated, Ohmaki critiques a society excessively reliant on electricity.
Gravity and Grace is the title of a collection of aphorisms by the French philosopher Simone
Weil. According to Weil, as beings bound by gravity, it is by accepting the void that we can receive
God’s grace. Ohmaki is also scheduled to produce photograms based on this ambitious installation comprised of light and shadow.

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Gravity and Grace
Photo courtesy of A4 Art Museum

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2. Massive Installations, Delicate Drawings—The exhibition will be held in a gallery with a ceiling height of eight meters and a total floor
space of 2,000 square meters, and Ohmaki has conceived three large installations that makemaximal use of the spacious venue. Due in part to their overwhelming, transhuman scale, thespaces Ohmaki creates often induce sublime sensations and spark deep introspection in those
who enter them. Also on view will be numerous drawings that Ohmaki has produced in theprocess of creating these overwhelming spaces. The drawings capture the intangible atmosphereof sites, enabling the artist to verify the expanse and motion of space and intersections of lightand shadow. The contrast between dynamic installations and delicate drawings is among theexhibition’s highlights.

Rustle of Existence
Photo courtesy of A4 Art Museum

3. Interdisciplinary Collaborations—Taking a profound interest in the body inhabiting spaces and its physical relationships withothers, Ohmaki has recently expanded his practice into the realm of theater, including producing
the stage design for Rain (2023, Aichi Prefectural Art Theater, the New National Theatre, Tokyo,and elsewhere). With contrasts of light and darkness that beckon visitors into stage-like spaces,
Ohmaki’s installations powerfully evoke theatricality at a fundamental level. Stepping into thesespaces, we become not just spectators but also actors who belong to the worlds Ohmaki constructs. Performances are also scheduled to be staged while the exhibition is on view.
In light of Ohmaki’s recent inspiration from language, a collaboration with poet Ryoko
Sekiguchi is also planned. New levels of depth will surely be reached when Sekiguchi’s words
run parallel to Ohmaki’s world of imagery.

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General Information

Shinji Ohmaki: Interface of Being—
Date: November 1 (Wed.)–December 25 (Mon.), 2023
Closed: Tuesdays–
Opening hours:
10:00–18:00 / *10:00–20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays*Last admission 30 minutes before closing–Venue:The National Art Center, Tokyo / Special Exhibition Gallery 2E–Organized by:
The National Art Center, Tokyo; Japan Arts Council;
Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan–
With the cooperation of:
Art Front Gallery; Mind Set Art Center; Nakagawa Chemical Inc.

Admission: Free
Inquiries: (+81) 47-316-2772 (Hello Dial)
Website: https://www.nact.jp/english

Access- Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, Nogizaka Station(C05),
direct access from Exit 6- Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Roppongi Station(H04),
approximately 5-minute walk from Exit 4a- Toei Oedo Subway Line, Roppongi Station(E23),
approximately 4-minute walk from Exit 7(No parking)Press Inquiries—
The National Art Center, Tokyo
Public Relations: Oettli, Iguchi, Honda
7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8558
Tel., +81-3-6812-9925
Fax, +81-3-3405-2531
pr@nact.jp