Between Worlds with Chiharu Shiota at Istanbul Modern

Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota's exhibition “Between Worlds” opened at Istanbul Modern on September 6, 2024

As part of the Centenary of the Establishment of Japan-Türkiye Diplomatic Relations, the exhibition, which includes a large-scale installation by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota created exclusively for Istanbul Modern, 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 Chiharu Shiota, who represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 2015, will be on display at Istanbul Modern and offers an opportunity to explore the artist's individual stories that relate to personal and collective memory. 

Press Conference

At the press conference, Istanbul Modern's Chief Curator, Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, provided insights into the “Between Worlds.” The press conference was attended by Oya Eczacıbaşı, Chair of the Board of Istanbul Modern; the artist Chiharu Shiota; Katsumata Takahiko, Ambassador of Japan to Türkiye; Atsuko Sato, Executive Director of the Art and Culture Department of the Japan Foundation; and Senur Akın Biçer, Chair of the Board of Arnica.

Oya Eczacıbaşı: We continue our 20th-anniversary exhibitions

Underlining that Istanbul Modern is delighted to host Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota's exhibition “Between Worlds” on the 20th anniversary of Istanbul Modern, following the renowned artist Olafur Eliasson, Oya Eczacıbaşı, Chair of the Board of Istanbul Modern, said: “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.”

Chiharu Shiota: It is too good to be true that my exhibition is taking place at an old harbor on the border of Eurasia

The artist Chiharu 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.”

Katsumata Takahiko: A multitude of cultural events are being organized to bring Japan closer to the people of Türkiye

Commenting on the centennial anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, Ambassador of Japan to Türkiye Katsumata Takahiko said: “Since Chiharu Shiota has reflected on the boundary between the two concepts of 'life and death’ and ‘memory and reality’ in her previous works, I think it is very meaningful that she is able to exhibit her work in Istanbul, a city located between two continents. When I visited Istanbul Modern in May, I was impressed by the creative design of the museum's building, the exhibitions, and the beautiful view overlooking the Bosphorus. As a visitor, I am delighted that Shiota's exhibition will be featured in such a wonderful location. On the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, many cultural events are being organized to bring Japan closer to the people of Türkiye. I believe that this exhibition is one of the highlights among them. I hope that Shiota's exhibition will be a good opportunity to introduce the people of Türkiye to new aspects of Japan that they may have not yet encountered.”

Atsuko Sato: We hope that the exhibition will spark the people of Türkiye to develop an interest in Shiota and Japanese art

Atsuko Sato, Managing Director for Arts and Culture Department of the Japan Foundation, which was established in 1972, pointed out that the foundation has been aiming to promote cultural exchange between Japan and other countries ever since: “For this purpose, the Japan Foundation continues to work in three main areas: first, cultural and artistic exchange; second, Japanese language education overseas; and third, Japanese studies, intellectual exchange and international dialogue. In Istanbul, a city that merges cultures from the East and West, it is our hope that Shiota’s exhibition will spark the people of Türkiye to develop an interest in her art, and by extension, in Japanese art in general, and that it will enrich cultural exchanges between Japan and Türkiye in the future,” Sato said. 

Senur Akin Bicer: Art has the power to strengthen relations of friendship and kindness all over the world

Arnica Chair of the Board Senur Akın Biçer said that they are delighted to support the “Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds” exhibition at Istanbul Modern: “Japan is a country whose art and culture I admire and which makes feel at home when I visit it. Sumi-e, the traditional Japanese art of painting, is one of the types of art that I feel is closest to my soul. Each of us is connected to one another by invisible threads. Art makes these threads visible. Our technological cooperation with Japan in developing Arnica's production technologies dates back to 1994. Our collaborations with various institutions and organizations have been growing stronger since then. Therefore, it is of particular importance for us to support this event that reinforces the strong bonds of friendship between Türkiye and Japan through art. I believe that art has the power to strengthen friendships and good relations all over the world. Being aware of our responsibility to contribute to this, we will continue to support art and artists,” Biçer added. 

Öykü Özsoy Sağnak: Shiota creates a visual narrative that makes the viewer question both personal and collective themes such as belonging and identity

Öykü Özsoy Sağnak, curator of the exhibition, 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 September 19 and 29, 2024.

Istanbul Modern Shop, where the exhibition catalogue will be on view, will feature a selection of products inspired by Chiharu Shiota's works.

The “Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds” exhibition will be on view at Istanbul Modern from September 6, 2024, to April 20, 2025.

About Chiharu Shiota

Born in Osaka, in 1972. Based in Berlin. Shiota has redefined the concept of memory and consciousness by collecting ordinary objects such as shoes, keys, beds, chairs, and dresses, and engulfing them in immense thread structures. She explores this sensation of a “presence in the absence” with her installations but also presents intangible emotions in her sculptures, drawings, performance videos, photographs, and canvases. 

In 2008, Shiota was awarded with “the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists, Japan” and her works have been displayed at international institutions such as the Hammer Museum, Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (QAGoMA), ZKM | Center For Art and Media, Mori Art Museum, Gropius Bau, Smithsonian Institution Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Kochi Art Museum and Osaka National Museum of Art. She has also participated in numerous international exhibitions such as the Aichi Triennale (2022), Oku-Noto International Art Festival (2017), Sydney Biennale (2016), Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (2009), and Yokohama Triennale (2001).