Exhibition

Open: Weekdays from 9:30 to 18:30
Close: Weekends / National holidays / August 11-15
Guest Curator: Nagisa Takai

今、人が人を産むという根源的な営みすらも、他者に、そして技術に「委託」できる時代が訪れようとしている。

人工子宮、配偶子提供、遺伝子編集──。かつてフィクションだった未来は、現実に足を踏み入れはじめた。

母性は身体から切り離され、設計され、管理され、そして選別される対象へと変貌する。
人間たちは、効率化された生のシステムに安心しながらも、なお「本物」への渇望を捨てきれずにいる。完成された美に酔いしれて、その裏にある不確かさや、不可視の犠牲に目を背けてはいないか。

進化し続けるテクノロジーは、私たちの生を加速させ、美しく装いながら、どこかで確実に人間性を侵食していく。
それは希望なのか、それとも静かな暴力なのか。

この展覧会は、「委託された生」と「技術に内包された母性」という境界領域に焦点を当て、私たちが何を選び、何を失っていくのか──人間の存在そのものを問い直す試みである。


We are on the brink of an era where even the most fundamental act of human existence—giving birth—can be "outsourced" to others, and to technology.

Artificial wombs, gamete donation, genetic editing—futures that once belonged to the realm of fiction are beginning to take tangible form.

Motherhood is being severed from the body, reconfigured, managed, and transformed into something that can be selected and optimized.
Even as people find comfort in this streamlined system of life, they remain unable to let go of their longing for something “real.” In our intoxication with perfected beauty, are we turning a blind eye to the uncertainties and invisible sacrifices that lie beneath?

As technology continues to evolve, accelerating and beautifying our lives, it also quietly encroaches upon our humanity.
Is this a promise of hope—or a form of silent violence?

This exhibition explores the liminal space between "outsourced life" and "maternal qualities embedded within technology," posing the question of what we choose, what we lose, and ultimately, what it means to be human.


2002年東京生まれ。東京藝術大学美術学部先端芸術表現科を2025年に卒業後、同大学院に進学、現在在学中。実際に世の中をリサーチして得られた現実や近未来に起こり得る問題を、CG等で制作した映像を用いながら、主に映像インタレーションとして鑑賞者に問いかけるという手法をとっている。

Born in Tokyo in 2002. After graduating from the Department of Intermedia Art at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2025, currently enrolled in the graduate program at the same university.
Her practice involves conducting real-world research into current and near-future societal issues, which are then explored through video installations, using CG and other visual media to engage viewers in critical reflection.

 

Upcoming Exhibition

Observation Man – 2: A Trio Exhibition
Artists: Yuichi Kato, Shun Kawami, Yuichiro Maekawa
Term: Sept. 8 (Mon) – Oct. 24 (Fri), 2025
Open: Weekdays from 9:30 to 18:30
Close: Weekends / National holidays (*Exception: Oct. 18 Sat)

加藤優一,川見俊,前川祐一郎の3人のアーティストが,「接点」と「切点」をテーマとする「観察のはらわた-2 3人展」と題する展覧会を開催します。
加藤優一は、日常で出会う人々を「接点」と捉え、その人々の胴体をフレームで切り取ったスケッチ「切点」の集積を通じて自分自身の身体と向き合います。彼の作品は、個々の身体の特徴を捉えながらも、普遍的な人間の存在を感じさせます。
川見俊は、家や日用品などの生活の「接点」を素材や対象としてフレームに収め、世界の小さなズレ「切点」を集積します。彼の作品は、退屈な日常に新たな風を吹き込み、そこから自分自身を捉えようとする真摯な試みを表現しています。
前川祐一郎の作品は、とてもシンプルで純粋な絵画を探求しています。彼は色と線、点と面、さまざまな「切点」を駆使して、その瞬間にしか生まれない新鮮で自然そのものの対価となるような「接点」を作り出そうとしています。
この展覧会では、3人のアーティストが「接点」と「切点」の行き来を通じて,私たちの認識を揺さぶり、新たな視点を提供します。

Exhibition features three artists, Yuichi Kato, Shun Kawami, and Yuichiro Maekawa, in an exhibition titled "Observation Man – 2: A Trio Exhibition," themed around points of "attachment" and "detachment."
Yuichi Kato views the people he encounters in daily life as points of "attachment" and confronts his own body through a collection of sketches, points of "detachment," that frame the torsos of these individuals. His works capture the unique characteristics of each body while evoking a universal human presence.
Shun Kawami frames the points of "attachment" in everyday life, such as houses and daily necessities, and collects the small discrepancies, points of "detachment," in the world. His works express a sincere attempt to capture himself by bringing a fresh breeze into mundane daily life.
Yuichiro Maekawa's works explore very simple and pure paintings. He uses detached elements such as colors, lines, dots, and surfaces to create points of "attachment" that serve as fresh and natural counterparts born only in that moment.
In this exhibition, the three artists move between points of "attachment" and "detachment," shaking our perceptions and offering new perspectives.


加藤 優一 KATO Yuichi
1973年岐阜県生まれ。1996年名古屋芸術大学 美術学部 彫刻科 卒業。1997年名古屋芸術大学 美術学部 彫刻科研究生 修了。在学時より、平面、立体を制作。1996年に初個展を開催。現在に至るまで個展、グループ展複数あり。近年は平面において、顔を描いていない肖像画、立体においては、抽象的なトルソー、レリーフ等を制作している。

Born in Gifu Prefecture in 1973. Graduated from the Art Division (Sculputure), Nagoya University of Arts in 1996, and completed the Research Program in Sculpture at the same university in 1997. Since his student years, he has been producing both two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, holding his first solo exhibition in 1996, and has continued to present in numerous solo and group exhibitions.
In recent years, his two-dimensional works have focused on portraits without faces, while his three-dimensional works explore abstract torsos and reliefs. Through these forms, he engages with the body as a site of both “attachment” and “detachment,” evoking the individuality and universality of human presence.



川見 俊 KAWAMI Shun
1981年静岡県生まれ 。2002年カーネギーメロン大学(アメリカ) 短期留学。2004年名古屋造形芸術大学視覚伝達デザインコース卒業。2004年名古屋造形芸術大学彫刻コース研究生前期修了。現在浜松市在住。主に東海エリアにて展覧会多数。特定の形式にこだわらず様々なタイプの作品を制作。主なモチーフは「地元」。最近は地元のお土産品の制作販売に力を入れている。

Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1981. Studied at Carnegie Mellon University (USA) in 2002. Graduated from the Visual Communication Design Course at Nagoya Zokei University in 2004, and completed the first term of the Research Program in Sculpture at the same university that same year. Currently based in Hamamatsu, he has participated in numerous exhibitions mainly in the Tokai region.
Without confining himself to a specific medium or format, he creates diverse works with “locality” as his primary motif. Recently, he has been focusing on producing and selling souvenirs rooted in his hometown, reflecting his ongoing attempt to capture and reframe everyday life as points of “attachment” and “detachment.”



前川 祐一郎 MAEKAWA Yuichiro
1981年静岡県生まれ。2007年愛知県立芸術大学美術学部美術科油画卒業。2009年愛知県立芸術大学大学院美術研究科油画修了。在学時より、絵画を中心に制作。2006年の展覧会の後、現在に至るまで個展、グループ展複数あり。近年は抽象と具象を行き来するような絵画作品を継続して制作している。

Born in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1981. Graduated from the Department of Oil Painting, Faculty of Arts, Aichi University of the Arts in 2007, and completed the Graduate School of Fine Arts (Oil Painting) at the same university in 2009. Since his student years, he has focused on painting, participating in solo and group exhibitions beginning with his first show in 2006.
His recent works continue to move fluidly between abstraction and figuration, exploring pure painterly elements—color, line, dot, and surface—as moments of “attachment” that emerge from deliberate “detachment,” generating fresh visual encounters that exist only in the present moment.

About

ITbM Gallery is situated within the Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM) building. WPI-ITbM serves as a hub for forging a new interdisciplinary realm of research by fostering collaboration between state-of-the-art synthetic chemistry, animal/plant biology, and theoretical science. Its mission is to introduce "transformative bio-molecules" that not only revolutionize scientific practices but also impact our way of life.

Within the spectrum of events organized by WPI-ITbM around the theme of "Mix," ITbM Gallery stands out. This gallery is dedicated to showcasing the crossroads of science and art, emphasizing the beauty and creativity born from their fusion. Our aim is to stimulate scientists to explore unconventional ideas and foster innovative "Mix" concepts. Moreover, we strive to provide NU students, faculty members, and staff with an opportunity to reflect on the concept of "Mix" and its diverse interpretations.

JOIN OUR GALLERY!
ITbM Gallery invites emerging artists to submit artwork for an opportunity to participate in our exhibitions. We are looking for a diverse body of artwork in all mediums and styles. If you are looking for gallery representation and to have an exhibition in Nagoya, submit your art and present it to the public.

SUBMISSION

Organizer: Issey Takahashi
Collaborator: Kazutaka Hirota
Guest curator: Nagisa Takai, Becky Alp, Briar Rose Pelletier
Advisor: Jian Xue

ACCESS

1F Entrance Hall, ITbM Gallery, Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University

 

CONTACT

Issey Takahashi
Research Promotion Division (RPD),
Institute of Transformative Bio-Molecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University

Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan

Tel: +81-52-789-4999
Email: takahashi.issei.a9[at]f.mail.nagoya-u.ac.jp

expand_less