Curator's Japan tour builds connections for upcoming NZ exhibition
Visiting Yokohama, Sendai and Ishinomaki, curator Melanie Oliver explored exhibitions and connected with artists and fellow curators in preparation for an upcoming exhibition on Japanese moving image art. The exhibition is set to open at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū in April 2025. In this article, Melanie describes her time in Japan and looks ahead to the upcoming exhibition. Melanie travelled to Japan with help from a Foundation Arts Practitioners Grant.
Melanie (right) with curator Carol Yinghua Lu at Yokohama Triennale
With a shared history of natural disasters just over a decade ago—the 2010/2011 Canterbury earthquakes and the 2011 Tōhoku region earthquake and tsunami—I felt particularly drawn to visit northeastern Japan to see the rebuilding of infrastructure, arts and communities firsthand. My journey included stops in Sendai and Ishinomaki, two places that endured devastating damage and loss of life.
In Ishinomaki, I visited photographer Lieko Shiga, who was very active in the days and years following the disaster, working with her local community to create the important photo series Rasen Kaigan, which was exhibited at Te Pātaka Toi Adam Art Gallery in Wellington and The Physics Room in Christchurch in 2013.
Lieko is an extraordinary artist because of the relationships that underpin and inform her images and installations. Her open studio policy fosters strong community connections, incorporating the experiences and views of diverse people into her work. Her practice centres on giving back to the community, encouraging public participation and fostering social connections, even as the Miyagi Prefecture continues to feel the long-lasting effects of the disaster. Her work reflects a commitment to challenging the political forces that shape the post-quake rebuild.
Artist Lieko Shiga outside her studio in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture
Lieko’s new piece at the Yokohama Triennale, DIALOG IN THE FOG: FIRE – What Nozomi Onodera, a hunter, told me in the mountains of the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture (2023–24), 'simultaneously critiques Japan’s relentless drive for industrial growth and explores human spirituality'.
The 8th Yokohama Triennale, Wild Grass: Our Lives, curated by LIU Ding and Carol Yinghua Lu ,was a highlight of my trip.
The central entrance space was loud and busy, a makeshift campground that underscored the sounds of war and ongoing crises that permeate contemporary life. It was a very evocative and powerful exhibition, featuring complex and thought-provoking works from numerous artists.
A busy day at National Museum of Western Art in Tokyo
The majority of my time was spent in Tokyo, where I visited countless artists and exhibitions. I was grateful for how open the curators were in sharing their insights and interests in the contemporary art scene. Everyone I met was so engaged and genuinely interested in connecting with Aotearoa New Zealand.
In Tokyo, I visited the National Museum of Western Art’s first exhibition of contemporary Japanese artists responding to its collection, Does the Future Sleep Here?
I also attended MOT’s biennial exhibition, the Tokyo Contemporary Art Award, and their project on language and identity, Where My Words Belong.
The Mori Art Museum featured an exhibition by American artist Theaster Gates and an archive of Taiwanese video art from the 1980s–1990s.
I was also drawn to smaller art spaces like BUG, which showcased vibrant emerging artists such as Shuhei Hayashi, Mes, and FAQ?.
The strength of the work in Tokyo seemed to lie in its self-reflexive and inclusive practices, exploring themes of gender, sexuality, history, archives and Indigenous peoples.
Despite my packed schedule of meetings and gallery visits, I found a few moments to enjoy Tokyo’s sights and sounds too: a view of Mt. Fuji from the top of Mt. Takao, a run around the Imperial Palace grounds, and some excellent music at a cozy listening bar.
Works by Kate Newby (left), Atsushi Watanabe (top right) and Lieko Shiga
The upcoming exhibition at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū, Disruptive Landscapes, opening 12 April 2025, will be a chance for Aotearoa audiences to see some of the most interesting artists from Japan.
It will include artists I encountered on this trip, with a focus on queer ecologies, perspectives on nature and landscapes that reveal the historical or political significance of place.
From VR to multi-channel projections to sculptural installations, the exhibition will deepen our understanding of contemporary Japanese art and the issues shaping the present moment.
I hope that some of these artists will be able to travel to Aotearoa to attend the exhibition opening events, fostering further connection and exchange. This was a fantastic opportunity to get to know new people and artistic practices, and I am confident it will lead to even more collaborations in the future.
The Foundation's Arts Programme brings Asia into the mainstream of New Zealand arts by inspiring New Zealand arts professionals to grow their connections and knowledge of Asia. It also supports the presentation of Asian arts in partnership with New Zealand arts organisations and events.
Our Arts Practitioners Fund provides support for experiential opportunities for individual New Zealand-based arts practitioners to deepen artistic and professional connections with Asia, including residencies, work placements, research tours and exchanges.
