‘Between Worlds’ by Chiharu Shiota at Istanbul Modern

ISTANBUL

As part of the centenary of the establishment of Japan-Türkiye diplomatic relations, Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota's exhibition “Between Worlds” opened at Istanbul Modern on Sept. 6.

The exhibition has been co-organized with the Japan Foundation, in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan and the Consulate-General of Japan in Istanbul, as well as the support of Arnica.

“Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds,” curated by Istanbul Modern Chief Curator Öykü Özsoy Sağnak and Assistant Curator Yazın Öztürk, explores themes such as memory, existence, migration, journey and human experience, which the artist frequently uses in various forms of expression including performance, video, installation and painting.

Shiota's large-scale installation “Between Worlds,” which also gives the exhibition its title, draws on the location of Istanbul at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. The installation by Shiota, who represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 2015, offers an opportunity to explore the artist's individual stories that relate to personal and collective memory.

“This exhibition, which we organized on the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, blends Istanbul’s rich identity with the artist's migration story. Following the ‘Discover Manga!’ exhibition that introduced Japanese culture as part of the ‘Year of Japan in Türkiye’ events in 2010, this exhibition, which we are presenting to art lovers at a meaningful time for both countries, aims to strengthen Istanbul Modern's international cultural interaction. Inspired by Istanbul, the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Shiota's large-scale installation, created especially for our museum, offers visitors the opportunity to discover a rich story. The artist's ‘Between Worlds’ is also the first museum exhibition of its kind in Türkiye,” Istanbul Modern Board Chair Oya Eczacıbaşı said.

Shiota, who redefines the concepts of memory and consciousness by collecting ordinary objects and wrapping them in huge structures made of yarn, said: “Since I moved from Japan to Germany 26 years ago, I feel that I am living in this ‘in-between place.’ When I was living in Japan, I didn't think much about my national identity, sometimes I even forgot that I was Japanese. When everybody is raised in the same culture as you, it becomes invisible like the air around you. But since I live in Germany, I have been confronted with my national identity more. I live in an environment with people of many nationalities and it became clear that we all grew up living and breathing different cultures. Not only did I feel more Japanese, I was perceived as Japanese foremost."

"Today, above all other connotations, I see myself as a Japanese artist. And the fact that this exhibition is supported by the Japan Foundation and organized on the anniversary of Türkiye-Japan diplomatic relations, as well as taking place at an old harbor on the border of Eurasia, is too good to be true,” Shiota added.

Curator Sağnak explained how in her installation at Istanbul Modern, the artist wrapped the entire gallery with web-like red threads and emphasized the theme of “presence in the absence” by placing the suitcases inside this intricate mass.

“Each suitcase, once carefully packed with the most personal and valuable belongings needed for a journey, represents an individual from the artist’s perspective. Shiota sees suitcases as conveyors of symbols carrying emotions and memories, bridging the past and the future. While the suitcases continue to exist physically in space, their owners only appear as a memory, a faint image in our minds. Tied together with red threads, these suitcases create a visual narrative that makes the viewer question both personal and collective themes such as home, belonging and identity. In this manner, Shiota weaves concepts of time, space, movement, and memory into her installations, and invites the viewers to engage both physically and emotionally with the work,” Sağnak said.

'Too Much Red’ at Istanbul Modern Cinema

Istanbul Modern Cinema, inspired by the “Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds” exhibition, has prepared a selection of films in which the color red plays a central role in their stories or emotional landscapes. This panoramic selection spans from the horror genre to Japanese history and will be available to cinema enthusiasts between Sept. 19 and 29.

The exhibition will be on view through April 20, 2025.