Taro Kitagawa, the Murmur of Roughness. DOMANI: The Art of Tomorrow Exhibition at The National Art Center, Tokyo

The DOMANI: The Art of Tomorrow 2022-23 exhibition is currently being held at The National Art Center, Tokyo.
This is a continuation of the exhibition report.

The second artist who caught my attention is,

the sculptor Taro Kitagawa (1976-).

The artist spent three years in Peru starting in 2007 under the Agency for Cultural Affairs' overseas study program. According to the artist, he chose South America, specifically Peru, as the site for his training because he wanted to explore expressions different from European aesthetics. He spent his days immersed in creation in the Andes mountains.

Now, in the exhibition room, there are two strangely shaped works carved from stone that are as large as benches ("Silence 1" and "Silence 2"), and a row of sculptures small enough to hold in your hand (↓).

At the venue, it was permitted to touch only the works of this artist.

Thinking, "Hmm, well, I might as well touch them since I'm here," I gave it a try, and,

"Wait, what is this?"

Yes, it was incredibly fresh. It was surprisingly so.
When I touched the sculptures that looked smooth, they felt more "silky" than "smooth," or sometimes even "slicker" than I had expected, while others had the strong presence of rugged sculptures.
Some matched their appearance while others betrayed it, and I found myself wanting to check each one (though I didn't touch them all, of course).

It felt as if my sense of touch was being awakened.

Come to think of it, we live our daily lives relying overwhelmingly on sight alone. Infinite information and content are displayed on smartphone and PC screens, but we cannot touch those two-dimensional images and instead acquire all information through our eyes (and ears).

I never realized that touching with my hands could bring such a rich sensory experience!
As I viewed Taro Kitagawa's works while touching them, I was made aware of the delicate sensitivity of the sense of touch that transcends sight.Touch guides sight, if you will; I felt the joy of regaining that sensation I had completely forgotten, yet certainly knew as a child.

Even more surprisingly, the sense of touch stimulates thought, doesn't it?

Kitagawa's sculptures, formed by the accumulation of fine stone fragments, have parts that flow smoothly when touched, and parts that are rough and catch your skin. I felt my brain working at full capacity, saying "Huh?", "Oh?", and "I see" at every moment.
And questions kept popping up: Why did the artist do this? Why did he make this part round, and why did he create a snag here?

To go even further, by touching the sculptures, I felt a strange sensation, as if I were directly confronting the artist across time and space while he was in the middle of carving them.

But when you think about it, that is only natural. Since the artist created these works by painstakingly carving, piercing, and sculpting the stone little by little using only a chisel and a hammer, you should be able to feel the artist's handiwork much more overwhelmingly by touching them with your hands than by just looking at them with your eyes.

The title the artist gave the sculptures is "Silence."
Indeed, the works placed there are just quietly "existing."
However, the moment I touched them, the roughness of their surfaces turned into the murmur of stone, speaking eloquently to me. How fascinating.

Please come to the venue and experience this strange sensation for yourself.

■ I'm running an "Adult Art Study Group."
With the concept of "Going one step further for those who love art," I created a community where art lovers can gather in a relaxed way. Since I started this myself, I've felt more motivated and have increased the pace at which I visit exhibitions (laughs). If you are interested, please take a look here (↓).

■ Click here (↓) for back issues of past articles.