Exhibition
The Boundary
Artists: Yu Kusube & Xiankun Luo
Term: February 12 - March 7, 2025
Open: Weekdays from 9:30 to 18:30
Close: Weekends, National Holidays
The 37th ITbM Gallery presents The Boundary, an exhibition by Yu Kusube and Xiankun Luo that explores the delicate thresholds between creation, perception, and existence. Through their distinct approaches, Kusube and Luo explore the concept of "boundary" from different perspectives—one through the lens of artificial intelligence and the other through the symbol of the automobile.
Where lies the boundary between conscious and unconscious creation? At what point does the appearance of an object begin to diverge, revealing its latent potential or decay? Kusube addresses these questions through the lens of AI, while Luo interrogates them through the motif of automobiles.
Kusube's work harnesses the transformative power of artificial intelligence, converting language into multidimensional numerical vectors that process meaning and relationships within a vast, abstract space. This process removes language from its human context, rendering it unintelligible to intuition. Drawing inspiration from Surrealism's concept of automatism, Kusube seeks to dissolve the oversight of reason, aiming to capture "thought" unbound by preconceived notions and freed from the limitations of conventional understanding.
In contrast, Luo's photographic series focuses on automobiles—objects of cultural significance and economic value that embody the tensions between permanence and transience. By juxtaposing cars of the same make and era, yet in drastically different states of condition—some cherished and enduring, others abandoned and decaying—Luo emphasizes the fragility of all things, using the automobile as a metaphor for the contingent nature of existence.
Together, Kusube and Luo's works challenge the viewer to reflect on the shifting boundaries that define our understanding of creation, transformation, and impermanence in both the digital and material worlds.
Upcoming Exhibition
Dream Ride
Artist: Rikuto Fujiwara
Producers: Yuichi Kato & Issey Takahashi
Term: March 26 - April 23, 2025
Open: Weekdays from 9:30 to 18:30
Close: Weekends
The 38th ITbM Gallery will present an exhibition titled Dream Ride by Rikuto Fujiwara. This exhibition will feature Rikuto's imaginative car drawings blended with photographs of the city of San Diego, California.
Archive

Sunlight filtering through leaves
Akihito Ito

Color Cooking
Artist: Eigo Iyama
Producer: Kazutaka Hirota

Breathing
Reiko Matsushita

Sewa-Ninja
Mitsuhiro Fukuchi

Routine Palette
SFRN

Transient Shadows
Elizabeth Wood

Science Graphic Design 2024
NU students

Fujimae-higata
Fujimae Ramsar Society
Fujimae Cleanup Committee
Nagoya City Wild Bird Observation Center

silence
Bowen Qiang

VOIX BRUT
Artists at the Borderless Art Studio CODOMODUS sylvain

Vivid mao
Mao Orime

Science 3DCG Animation
Hiroaki Inaba, Yuichiro Yagami, and Kazuya Nakashima

HOMEOSTASIS
Kazutaka Hirota

Science Graphic Design 2023
NU students/faculties

Through Life
Meriem Wakrim

Geometric Cityscape
Bowen Qiang

New Natural Histories
Keisuke Nakamura, Izumi Nishimura, Jin Murata

Decomposition
Becky Alp

ALTOGETHER
B. R. Pelletier, J. Badger, K. Blanch, A. Choy, N. Kozulina, H. Toya

Tapestries
Briar Rose Pelletier

Illustrating Chemistry
Renee Man

Story of the Plants
Tatsuya Mizoguchi
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.
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