Floor O UMEDA Tetsuya
Oct. 17, 2020 - Nov. 15, 2020
Main Sight：Exhibition
UMEDA Tetsuya "Floor O", Saitama Triennale 2020 / Photo: MARUO Ryuichi
UMEDA Tetsuya, whose practice transcends existing fields such as art, music, and performing arts, explores unique methods and works in various location to create situations that can only be established in that particular place. Throughout his career he has carefully observed the spaces that serve as the venue for his work, in doing so deciphering its structure, function, context, etc. to develop site-specific expressions while incorporating elements from the existing environment including natural phenomena.
His new work "Floor O," presented here, is a sequel to his 2014 flaneur-style solo exhibition "Age O," held in the Sanno District of Nishinari-ku, Osaka. In "Age O," visitors each traveled on different routes, encountering prepared (or unprepared) scenes in various locations across the district, at times (subconsciously) coming to act as if they were accomplices of the work. In "Floor O," the very architectural structure of the former Omiya ward office, as well as the function and traces of the cafeteria, stack-room, incinerator, and locker rooms that were once located in the building's basement, are reinterpreted to give rise to a world that slightly differs from the standards of life above ground. In addition, by creating multiple layers of various phenomena including visitors' movements, what is conceived is a "world without center" that is based on another sense of order - the fluctuation of stereotypes that appear as a result of a culmination of minute experiences.
Video work "O times"
A guided tour of the exhibited work "Floor O" was scheduled to be conducted every Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and on national holidays, enabling visitors to view the entire work including areas that are inaccessible on weekdays. The work "O times" is a video reproduction of the performance tour that was canceled due to the spread of the new coronavirus infection. The content of the tour is based on the details of the workshop held with participants including those living in Saitama City, which was held with the cooperation of dancer and choreographer Neji Pijin and Fukutome Mari.
Videographer: Watanabe Yasutaka
Sound engineering: Nakahara Raku
Cast: Fukutome Mari, Neji Pijin, Yamada Un
Wada Shinji, Shinoda Chiharu
And extras
Date and Time
Closed on Saturday, October 17, 2020-Sunday, November 15, 2020
12: 00-18: 00 (Last entry 17:00)
Venue
Former Omiya ward office B1F
3-1 Daimoncho,Omiya-ku,Saitama City
* 5 minutes walk from the East Exit of Omiya station.