Takao Minami, Medi, 6 channel video with sound, 9min

Japanese artist Takao Minami’s (b. 1976) solo exhibition, entitled “Medi”, marks the debut of his latest work of the same title, presented alongside two newly-made works from his “Light Symbol” (2012-) and “Shadow Symbol” (2016-) series.

“Medi” (2016) is a 6-channel video work where six different images move slowly and simultaneously in front of the viewer. Each screen shows a different landscape in vivid colors. Clouds, erupting volcanos, waterfalls, waves, mountain climbers, workers at construction sites, shepherds, fences, cable cars, boats, kites, swimming dogs, swarms of mosquitos and ants… The captured scenery expands from mountains to seas, from urban to nature, in other words from macro to micro. This wide range of subjects appearing in the work reflects the artist’s wide points of views during his travel.

This work reflects Minami’s journey in the area along the Mediterranean Sea, but it is not a straightforward documentation. Segments of visual and audio materials taken from the area are re-edited and formed into one piece. A journey always starts from one place to another, and one tends to relate what he/she sees to the location where it was sighted. Minami challenges this conventional method of documentation and representation of places. He regards travel as a gradation: in this work, sceneries are cut and re-composed into a smooth continuation of changing images. Through his manipulation of these collected fragments, a new representation of cultural differences is realized.

Opening Reception in the presence of the artist: 23 September 2016, 7pm

Artist Tour: 24 September 2016, 4pm

Venue: Ota Fine Arts, 7 Lock Road, #02-13 Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108935

When: 23 Sep - 5 Nov 2016,

By: Ota Fine Arts