Exhibitions

KEN NAKAHASHI is pleased to present Raiden Dialogue, a special exhibition by Eiki Mori, to be held from September 29th (Wed) to October 10th (Sun), 2021. Raiden Dialogue (2021), an installation of sound and video that was first presented in the early period of the group exhibition one’s signal, held at the gallery from July 21st to September 26th, will be exhibited once again but in a different configuration within the gallery space.

In Raiden Dialogue, the tactile sensations of fingertips are picked up by microphones and translated into amplified sounds, combining with the sounds of the surrounding environment as well.

On a certain day, at a certain passing time, at a certain harbor, against the background of a vast and ever-changing landscape, with a flat horizon and clouds in the sky, blue sky peeking through the clouds, and birds that happen to fly by, Mori is slowly tracing with a microphone the silhouette of someone who is not there—the shadow of absence.

Moving through all the undulations of clothing, skin, and hair, the microphone reveals the sounds that exist and occur beyond the range of human hearing. In addition, the sounds that could be heard by Mori and any other beings who may have been there—the sound of waves crashing in the harbor, the cries of seagulls, the sound of a ship's engine coming into port—intertwine to create a six-minute and ten-second soundscape.

The image that appears to rise up in the space shows Mori moving the microphone as if tracing the shape of someone who is not there, before changing into an empty, uninhabited landscape. The sound and moving images then suddenly disappear like the wind, and there is a silence of about 40 seconds. These sounds and images then play repeatedly in a loop.

The sense of presence, exuberance, and noise in the tracing of sound, as well as the random movement of the seagulls, recur through temporal and spatial deviations. The act of endlessly tracing the contours of absence (recording), seems to be moving toward the inheritance (remembering) of a lost existence.

How do we listen to the voices of beings who are not here?

Over the short period of 10 days, we will revisit Raiden Dialogue, which is in itself also a ritual for parting, as a special exhibition at the beginning and end of one’s signal, the group exhibition commemorating the eighth anniversary of the gallery.

[Work Details]

Raiden Dialogue, 2021, sound and video installation (2 speakers, 1 projector), 6min 10sec (loop)

[Exhibition Outline]

• Title: Eiki Mori Raiden Dialogue
• Dates: September 29(Wed) - October 10(Sun), 2021
• Hours: Wed, Thu, Fri 11:00-19:00 Sat, Sun 11:00-17:00
• Closed: Mon, Tue
• No prior reservation is required.
• The exhibition will be held for 10 days, excluding the days the gallery is closed.