A Q & I

About the exhibition

The meaning behind the exhibition title

The unusual title, A Q & I, differs significantly from the exhibition’s Japanese title. Each of the four evenly spaced letters and symbols has its own meaning, but together, their significance is amplified. “A” is the first letter of the artist’s family name, Amemiya. The sound of the letter “Q” is present in the Japanese title, and it can also be the shortened form of the word “Question.” “&” is a conjunction, equivalent to the hiragana letter “と” in the Japanese title. And, of course, the last letter “I” indicates “the self.” All in all, perhaps an expanded version of the title would be “Amemiya Question and I.” The “Question” that sits between the artist’s name and “the self” suggests a concept explored by Amemiya: “to cross a border before you know it.” The title promises that the exhibition will be full of new wonders that are reshaped through scrutinizing, questioning, and examining our mysterious world.

A public rehearsal toward a swan song

An artist’s final artwork or writing is called a swan song, referring to the cries of a dying swan. All of Amemiya’s artistic efforts, including this exhibition, are always part of the very long preparation for his swan song.
In his script sculpture series, which he began for this exhibition, Amemiya uses scripts from his previous works, combining them with the medium of sculpture, which is considered permanent and symbolic, while preserving the fragility and subtlety of language. The scripts themselves are to be produced through lecture performances, or performances that center the artist’s speech or communication with visitors at his exhibitions.
The idea of swan songs, or an artist’s final work, may seem somewhat gloomy, but this task that Amemiya has set—how to leave a legacy of works that will live much longer  than the individual—is a positive one. In other words, this exhibition asks how we can celebrate the absence of Amemiya as a performer and material in his works. Thursdays (October 5, 19, 26) will be considered lucky days, with hired performers taking over Amemiya’s role in his lecture performances. On September 30, Amemiya and a performer will both be present in preparation for the lucky days. Through these performances, visitors can witness the moment where one can perceive when “I” (Amemiya) and “You” (everyone else) transform into “We.” More trial and error than preparation, more active pursuit than an attempt, the artist’s firm determination and life full of detours, twists, and turns will dazzle beyond the parameters of the exhibition.

Yousuke Amemiya’s artistic challenge

Amemiya attempts to translate our world in this exhibition. With an installation of prior video works and a new script sculpture series, as well as lecture performances by the artist, the exhibition comprises a variety of elements including language, objects, and the body.
Ineffable events occur every day in our world, and we find ourselves confronted with emotions that cannot be put into words. We typically get by communicating with the closest language at hand.
Amemiya uses two methods of translation as means of expression: literal translation (where the grammar of the source text is translated faithfully) and free translation (where the meaning and impression of the source text is translated faithfully). By translating language as material or translating the body as language, at times directly and at times poetically, Amemiya asks where the limits of our world are, both for himself and for us.
This unconventional method of communication operates as something universal that transcends time and space, making the essence of artmaking visible.
Visitors will see Amemiya endeavor to be present in the space during the majority of the exhibition, his most ambitious since his return last year to Japan after living in Berlin. The exhibition will be ever-evolving, incorporating Amemiya’s motivations toward art making, which have been consistent since the start of his career, as well as personal matters such as his family and changes in his lifestyle.

“A Q & I” Teaser trailer

We interviewed Amemiya Yosuke ahead of the exhibition.
A short version, edited from the full interview, serves as a trailer for the exhibition!

Voice: Yousuke AMEMIYA
Shoot, edit by Naoki TAKEHISA
Shoot by Kotaro SAITO

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