Exhibitions

Erik Swars | kuchisabishii

November 20th (Fri)–January 24th (Sun), 2021

• Hours: Wed・Thu・Fri 11:00 - 19:00, Sat・Sun 11:00 - 17:00
• Closed: Mon・Tue
• The gallery will be closed the following days during the new year holiday: December 28th (Mon), 2020 - January 12th (Tue), 2021

KEN NAKAHASHI is pleased to present kuchisabishii, a solo exhibition by Erik Swars to be held from November 20 (Fri), 2020 until January 24 (Sun), 2021.

The title of Swars' fifth solo exhibition at KEN NAKAHASHI, kuchisabishii refers to the compulsive nature of consumer behavior and reactions. The word ‘kuchisabishii’ literally translated means ‘mouth loneliness’ and is used to describe eating out of boredom. In this exhibition Swars utilizes painting, photography, and found footage from a 24-hour weather livestream to create a room examining concepts of ‘the relationship between the authority of state and government and individuals,’ and ‘the connection between nature and humanity’.

Since 2018, Swars has been using a number of materials and media to interact with each other throughout the exhibition space, confronting visitors with a ‘circle of meaning’ that repeatedly appears and disappears, creating a 'Menschen wie Raeume’ ー or Room as a Human. In using Alu-Pe (aluminum sheets) for his paintings, found footage for his videos, and glass, steel, wood, soil, and water for his installations, his practice inherits the perspective of ‘total work of art’, or ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ in German, as advocated by Richard Wagner and others.

Erik Swars was born in 1988 in Germany. He also studied under O JUN at the Tokyo National University of the Arts from 2013 to 2014. He is based out of the former cotton mill Spinnerei Leipzig.

Swar’s works are part of several public collections, including the Hildebrand Collection. 

In parallel with this exhibition, Swars will also hold his first solo exhibition at the young artist’s exhibition series CONNECT LEIPZIG at Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig, from October until December 2020.

Quote by Erik Swars

kuchisabishii

we see the sun

rising. falling, rain.

grey cloudy dust, here and there

it’s all the same.

fragile skin.

projection, raw surfaces.

fixed time, moments of minds.

yours and mine.

October 2nd, 2020

Erik Swars