ひむがしの / Österut

In October 2023, the duo exhibition ひむがしの / Österut was presented at The Terminal Kyoto, a gallery for contemporary art and crafts in a Japanese machiya house in the heart of Kyoto. Light artist Sofia Ivarsson and Japanese pianist and performance artist Eriko Makimura explored light and storytelling as tools for examining Scandinavian and Japanese cultures and aesthetics.

With an array of temporal light installations accompanied by live storytelling, the duo created a curious atmosphere where visitors were welcomed to explore the space through play. Guests were encouraged to use their phone’s flashlight to activate reflective objects, film and photograph moving elements and let go of the expectations of a formal art gallery visit. 

The exhibition's title (loosely translated as ‘Towards East’) is inspired by a Japanese poem from the 7th century by Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, who writes about a simultaneous experience of a sunset and a moonrise.

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