Enter the silent world of pioneering Japanese sculptor and installation artist Kishio Suga this summer. From 28 June, Museum Cobra in Amstelveen will show large, impressive installations in which the boundary between man, nature, and art is softened. Surprise yourself and get to know world-class, minimal art.
Relevant as ever
Consider the stones, pieces of wood, wire, and paraffin. Sometimes it seems as if Kishio Suga (1944) has arranged them almost without thinking. Yet this is definitely not the case. His minimalist sculptures and installations are understated and made of everyday materials. He emphasises their physical qualities, but also their correspondence and connection to their own surroundings. At Museum Cobra, you will experience that Suga’s work is as relevant today as it was in the sixties, because the question of how man and the earth relate to each other is central.
New meaning
Suga is a key figure within the so-called Mono-ha movement. In the sixties, the artists of this group processed their unease and disillusionment with Japan’s post-war mentality in a very unique way. They gave new meaning to natural and industrial materials, rigorously breaking with traditional, figurative art.
Natural materials
In our age of consumerism, more and more people are choosing to use natural materials and to reuse and repair used goods. This exhibition is in tune with the times. “Museum Cobra wants to introduce Suga’s pioneering work to the European public as well as contribute to a dialogue about art, ecology, and philosophy,” says Suzanne Wallinga, director of Museum Cobra and co-curator of the exhibition. She worked closely with Ashley Rawlings, who specialises in post-war Japanese and Korean art. Suga himself is also involved in the composition and design of both the exhibition in Amstelveen and the solo exhibition opening simultaneously in the United States, at Dia: Beacon in upstate New York.
Lively and colourful
The entire top floor of Museum Cobra is filled with Suga’s large-scale installations, which he himself calls “situations”. With ten key works and some site-specific works, you can completely immerse yourself in his world. You will also see wall works, photographs, notebooks, and documentary material. Personal notebooks explain Suga’s way of seeing and working, including the lively and colourful side of his works. Video recordings of his live performances illustrate his sense of humour.
Whether you are a lover of minimal art or not yet familiar with it, Museum Cobra immerses you into Suga’s work in an accessible way. Kishio Suga – Where Both Sides Meet makes you think about the role of materials and the correspondence between everything that exists.