The art duo Nerhol, whose solo exhibition "Scene to Know" is running at VACANT in Harajuku until December 6th, is a collaboration between graphic designer Yoshihisa Tanaka and contemporary artist Ryuta Iida. Nerhol's name comes from Tanaka's "kneading" of the concept and Iida's "carving." At this year's Tokyo Art Fair, they won the Beacon Prize for a portrait of a woman, created by layering multiple photographs and cutting each one into a distorted expression. This exhibition also features approximately 40 portraits. "It began with me questioning the authenticity of portraits, both traditional and infinitely retouchable," says Tanaka. The work takes three minutes of continuous photography of a still person, capturing their unique, subtle movements while attempting to reveal the inner self of the person beyond the image. Approximately 200 portraits capturing subtle movements are layered in chronological order, then cut and peeled away one by one to reveal the cross-sections, resulting in a three-dimensional work with a sluggish image reminiscent of geological strata that gradually change appearance. While based on photography, the work is unique in that it is not editioned.
This work is not a random series of shots; it is comprised of a collection of portraits of people associated with VACANT, taken over the course of a year, making it a site-specific exhibition. One of the works captures the scene of water running in the sink at the venue, highlighting not only the portrait subjects but also the "place," further evolving the work. Regarding the future direction of his work, Tanaka stated, "I want to continue sculpting various subjects as organic entities, not just portraits."
A talk show with the artist is scheduled for December 5th at 7:30 PM (reservations required on the VACANT website).
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【Event Information】
Scene to know
Venue: VACANT 2nd floor
Address: 3-20-13 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: until December 6th
Time: 12:00 to 20:00 (until 18:00 on the last day)
Closed: Mondays
Free admission
Related event: Talk show
Date and time: Thursday, December 5th, 2013
Time: 19:30 - 21:00
Admission: Free (Reservation required on the VACANT website)
Performers: Nerhol, Kenjiro Hosaka (Chief Curator, National Museum of Modern Art), Takashi Ishida (Painter/filmmaker; Associate Professor, Tama Art University), Kan Kikutake (Taka Ishii Gallery)
