About the artwork

MonET Special Exhibition: “87-Day Square Adventure with Captain MonET”
Utilising the MonET corridor and the entrance of Akashi no Yu for this special exhibition, domestic and international artists participate in this original project at MonET. Around the pond, visitors can enjoy a variety of artworks such as the thrilling “Amida Crossing,” mini-golf, giant sculptures, and more. The artworks are illuminated at night, offering a serene atmosphere different from daytime.

[Participating Artists] Kato Miisa, contact Gonzo×dot architects, Sato Risa, Drawing Architecture Studio, Hara Rintaro + Hara Yū, Massimo Bartolini, Sa Bunti, Rob Foreman, Numen / For Use, Maruyama Nodoka, and Watanabe Yasuyuki+Watanabe Sayo
Curators: Hara Rintaro + Hara Yū
Information Office: Atelier trka (Sakurai Takehiro + Nakamura Ryota + Nakazono Kosuke)
Lighting Supervision: Senju Motomachi Souko (Matsumoto Daisuke / Harada Hisashi)
Special programs are also available for a limited dates and time.

［Details of Artworks］￥200 for the experience fee for artworks marked with ★

“Amida Crossing” by Hara Rintaro + Hara Yū ★
A trick art on trick art, bridging buildings and imagination. Just as Leandro Erlich’s “Palimpsest: Pond of Sky” (P.035) is a site-specific work for MonET, this piece is a site-specific work in response to the Erlich’s work. A water walkway is installed on the image of pillars radiating from the centre of the pond, allowing visitors to move as if crossing the Amida River. At night, it transforms with illumination, changing its mood.

“The Long and Winding River” (Tunnel and Table)” by Hara Rintaro + Hara Yū
Sharing moments with a changing “river”
“A winding river that transforms into a tunnel or a table. We explore the enjoyment of the chill-out room at the crosspoint of the art museum and the Akashi-no-yu (hot spring). Since ancient times, living beings have gathered around be rivers, marking the beginning of civilisation,” commented the artists. The artists installs their created “river” at Akashi no Yu, offering a space where visitors can experience while staying.

“Otra Fiesta” by Massimo Bartolini
“Offering a glimpse into the depths of “music.”
Crafted from components commonly found in construction sites, this instrument resembles a music box. As the pieces come together, the sounds resonate, reaching the walking spectators with echoes akin to a pipe organ. Yet, experiencing the entirety of this music remains elusive. The score of the music always remains “beyond” reach.
Music: Otra Fiesta by Edoardo Marraffa
*Since this work has a moving piece, system maintenance may be in progress. Please be advised that the release of the work may be suspended suddenly due to such maintenance.

“Tokamachi Putter Golf??? Club!!” by contact Gonzo × dot architects ★
What happens at the handmade “miniature golf course”!?
The Osaka-based performance unit, contact Gonzo, and the architect unit, dot architects, collaborate with various individuals. Having previously engaged in installations and film production, the two groups update their exhibition from 2023, titled “Jozenji Miniature Golf Club??? – Collaboration and Commotion – Double Bogey (2 over par),” held at Sendai Mediatheque, for the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale.

“Colony” by Rob Foreman
Experiencing the nature of an unknown community
“How can we make rural living appealing again? Creating new communities through the internet and culture may change current trends. It might also imply the development of new types of housing. However, this artwork will provide visitors with a surprising space to explore,” remarked the artist. This is a new piece by the artist, who continues to present sculptures and installations themed around ecology and urban planning.

“sound of the corridor” by Watanabe Yasuyuki＋Watanabe Sayo
The “sounds” born uniquely in that place.
The artist introduces “sound tools” emerging from their connection to specific locations, crafted from ceramics for tactile enjoyment of their sounds. For this exclusive exhibition at MonET, the artist will arrange numerous “sound tools,” each wrapped in bags, throughout the corridor. Wind may elicit sounds, as can the curious touch of children upon the bags.

“Cat-Dragon lantern” by Zha Wenting
What would the new divine beast say?
By combining the cat, a symbol of “ominousness”, with the dragon, a symbol of “auspiciousness” the artist aims to change preconceptions about things and creates the series of “Divine Beasts” under this theme – questioning the coexistence of diverse perspectives in society, where there are no absolute intentions or rules.

“overflowing” by Kato Miisa
“Fading: Light, Shadow, and Texture”
This peculiar installation consists of transparent yet robust water balloons stacked upon each other, inviting tactile exploration. The melting glass-like texture and the reflection of the surrounding scenery leave a profound impression. The changing light due to weather and time becomes the expression of the artwork, allowing for a unique experience with each viewing.

“I who am empty again today #3 (moon and heart）” by Sato Risa
Taking shape and expanding forms
Experimenting with various “expanding shapes” on-site, the versatile artist creates models while repeating cutting and sewing processes. This series is one of the artist’s attempts at new public art, including performances wandering through the city alongside the artwork.

“Moving (Train), Drifting Consciousness” by Maruyama Nodoka
Challenging the sensation of movement
Themed around “movement through transportation,” three-dimensional objects are crafted using materials such as plywood and lumber, scattered throughout the corridors of MonET. This is an installation by the artist who depicts the nature of “contemporary landscapes” through minimalistic methods.

“A Walk in the Town” by Drawing Architecture Studio ★
What will the future “countryside” look like?
“The dichotomy between urban and rural areas is gradually fading. Spaces no longer strictly distinguish between reality and virtuality, and people are gradually accepting complex spaces and urban-rural integration,” commented the artist. This piece is a continuation of the “Countryside Panorama Graphics Project” by Drawing Architecture Studio, based in China, depicting the transformation of current countryside settings and speculating about the future.

“Tape Echigo-Tsumari” Numen / For Use
The installation was envisaged as a site specific, parasitical structure invading an arbitrary location. Similar to a spider often making its net in the corner of a building, the existing concrete pillars of the museum are used to literally web the installation at site. The straight lines of main trajectories are stretched a given and these tendons are then wrapped diagonally with layers of elastic tape, giving shape to a complex organic form through a process similar to the emergence of such structures in nature.
With the further layering of the tape, the figure becomes more and more corporeal as it picks up on the slow increase of the curvature. The  interior of the structure is supple, elastic, and pliable while the form itself is statically perfect, as it ideally follows the trajectories of forces, being literally defined by them. In the moment when the audience enters the installation, what started off as a sculpture seamlessly morphs into architecture.