3331 GALLERY #045 3331 ART FAIR recommended artists Keita Mori Solo Exhibition "⏦"

For the 45th running of the 3331 ART FAIR recommended artists special exhibition, we happily present the solo exhibition, "⏦", by Keita Mori.

There exist two types of lines within the drawings of Keita Mori, made through improvisation by sticking string onto paper or walls using a glue gun. The first are lines pasted on straight, the latter are curves formed by the fall of gravity. These include small errors that occur as the string gets entangled or cut during the process, bringing up images of dense and orderly buildings, or outer space; while at the same time, they bring to mind the fragility contained within the efficiently systemized structure of contemporary society. At times, there is an organic quality almost reminiscent of the body's cells, while at other times, they may appear as rhythm-engraved sheet music. As these lines expand into various dimensions, they deconstruct all systems, causing us to open up our imaginations toward what comes next. This may be, as the artist himself mentions, seen as the work of an archaeologist digging up traces of the future.

For this exhibition, we plan to show Mori's representative drawing series titled, "Bug report", as well as video works from which they originate. Moreover, on the exhibition opening day, we will be holding a public display of the artist's creative process, as well as a talk event. We invite you to take this opportunity to come view these highly unique artworks.

Special cooperation: rin art association
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Artist's statement
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In order to expand the expressive field of drawing, I have worked on the series, "Bug report", through my unique process in which I paste string onto paper or walls using a glue gun. There are two types of lines that form the images: "straight lines" formed by taut string, and loosened "curved lines", which both figuratively follow the structural aspects of a system. Through this series, I have tested out my recognition of temporary realities by reporting the fissures (bugs) that accumulate as string is added on.
Here, creating work in this space without any drafts, is the "half-way scene", including both aspects of structure and collapse. These landscapes are rooted in a work where I recorded a cat's cradle. Broken and rebuilt, a suspended form continues to show on a looped video, as the very action of the evasion of completion that is drawing.

Here at 3331 Arts Chiyoda, I will develop my premise in which string serves as the starting point of "line".

- Keita Mori

【CV】



1981 Born in Hokkaido, currently resides in Paris
2004 Graduated from Tama Art University, Sculpture Department

2021 "La Ronde" Musée des Beaux-Arts de Rouen / Rouen, France
2020 "The Potentiality of Drawing" Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo / Tokyo
"Bug report" rin art association / Takasaki
2019 "Dissect the Society" Takamatsu Art Museum / Kagawa
2018 "DOMANI: The Art of Tomorrow" The National Art Center, Tokyo / Tokyo
2017 "Template" Galerie Catherine Putman / Paris, France
2015 "Walk the line" Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg / Wolfsburg, Germany

Born in 1981 in Hokkaido. Moved to France after graduating from Tama Art University, and currently resides in Paris. Selected for the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan's overseas study program for upcoming artists, Mori attended École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts in Paris. Later, he completed a graduate course in fine arts at Université Paris VIII. He began producing a series of drawings based on the premise that uses string as the starting point of line. In 2017, he held the exhibition, "Strings", as part of the grand opening of Drawing Lab, the first art center in France to specialize in drawing. That same year, he was awarded the Matsutani Prize. Recent major exhibitions, held within Japan and overseas, include those at Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg (Wolfsburg, Germany), The National Art Center, Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan), and Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan). Mori is represented by Galerie Catherine Putman in Paris, and rin art association in Takasaki, Japan. His works have been collected by Musée d'Art Contemporain de Marseilles, FRAC Aquitaine among other private and public collections.
https://keitamori.com

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Event
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① Public Display of the Artist's Creative Process
The artist, Keita Mori, will create a drawing made with string on a wall within the gallery space.
December 22 (Thu) 17:00 - 17:30
Venue : 3331 Gallery

② Talk Session
December 22 (Thu) 18:00 - 19:00
Keita Mori x Yuka Keino Talk Session (Japanese Only)
Venue : 3331 Arts Chiyoda 1F Community Space

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Contributed text for Exhibition
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Does string or line come first? - First, humans discovered objects that could be used as thread within nature. However, these objects were all difficult to use as is. At some point, someone realized that thread could be extracted from clumps of fine fibers. Then, tools were invented in order to spin and weave thread in various locations. Come to think of it, the modern industrial revolution started with the mechanization of spinning technology.

One can imagine the original scenes of cat's cradle that exist across the world - A piece of slightly longer string is picked up. Adults cut the string for children. One after another, the knotted string forms shapes in the hands of one or two people, then they disappear without retaining a certain form. From here, rhythm was born and became connected to its surroundings and to stories. There truly never is the same shape twice. Only similar shapes. That is why it repeats over and over.

Keita Mori equates his drawings made by string to cat's cradle. The lines created by improvisation, in that space, tie together images that force us to recall systems, while at the same time, they constantly wriggle. These will eventually carry on the legacy of modern civilization.

-Yuka Keino (Curator / Aomori Contemporary Art Centre)

Yuka Keino
Born in 1989 and raised in Kanagawa, Japan. Keino holds a master's degree from the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Information Studies, the University of Tokyo. After working at Akita University of Art and Museum of Samoa, she assumed the current position in 2019. At ACAC, Keino has curated many exhibitions that reconsider land and history while thinking about cloth and publicness (media events, monuments, etc.). She is also involved in initiatives to further develop potential of the institution, such as restructuring of the residency program (co-curation). Recent her major projects include "The Beginning of Life/Art: Cloth Weaves Our Times, from Aomori" (2020), SIDE CORE/EVERYDAY HOLIDAY SQUAD solo exhibition "under pressure" (2021), "Light of My World" (co-curated with Takuya Tsutsumi of Yamanaka Suplex, ALTERNATIVE KYOTO in Fukuchiyama, 2021), Nodoka Odawara solo exhibition "Overcoming/Sculpting Modernity: Aomori Snow Country Edition" (2021-22), "Okawa Ryo's Collection: Expression with the Power of Life " (2021-22), etc.