Akinori Matsumoto + Michiko Matsumoto
TOLARIS

Duration: Friday, September 15, 2023 - Sunday, November 12, 2023
Hours: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Open every day. No holidays during the exhibition period

Venue: BankART KAIKO
(KITANAKA BRICK & WHITE 1F, 5-57-2 Kitanaka-dori, Naka-ku, Yokohama)

Free Admission

An expansion of the exhibition will simultaneously be held at the Kitanaka Historical Plaza and Kitanaka BRICK&WHITE stores. (This segment of the exhibition will run from Friday, September 15 to Tuesday, October 31.)

Artist Talk + Opening Reception
Friday, September 15, 7:00 PM.
Admission: ¥1,000
Inquiries: BankART1929
E-mail: info@bankart1929.com
TEL: 045-663-2812

TOLARIS

Andrei Tarkovsky's iconic film "Solaris" has a scene in which a vast oceanic entity possessed of a massive awareness materializes in a person's subconscious while they sleep. Based on this vision, Akinori Matsumoto + Michiko Matsumoto will create "Tolaris."

Tolaris is an imaginary planet created by Akinori Matsumoto, known for his movement + sound-generating objects made of bamboo, and Michiko Matsumoto, known for her colorful cat "hoppe" shaped canvas paintings. Having its own ecosystem, the planet has evolved with its own inimitable life forms. Tolaris is the reigning species at the pinnacle of the ecosystem, and its colorful hues are parasitic on various organisms. Communication is conversed by means of mysterious music. Tolaris' dwellings are shaped like mushrooms, and certain huts are showered with sounds from music boxes. Another hut is surrounded by the sound of waves. Colorful driftwood sprinkles the sandy beaches, colorful foliage grows in clusters, and the sky is swarming with musical objects and brightly colored avatars. Tolaris is ubiquitous on every corner of the planet. Tolaris can shapeshift at will, sometimes taking the form of a cat, sometimes a plant, and sometimes a musical instrument. And at times, they propagate into outdoor spaces, populating unexpected places. Visitors are encouraged to move freely in and out of the venue and let their imaginations expand the planetary Tolaris.

Akinori Matsumoto
Akinori Matsumoto was born in 1951. Beginning his creative activities from 1978, he has exhibited his work at The Contemporary Art Exhibition of Japan, the Japan International Art Exhibition, and The Henry Moore Grand Prize Exhibition, among many other exhibitions. In 1992, he received a grant from the Gotoh Memorial Foundation to research the performing arts of ethnic groups in seven Asian countries for a year and a half; in 1999, he won the Grand Prize at the 9th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh; since 1981, he has been creating sound objects (works that emit sound) exhibiting them as sound installations in galleries, museums, outdoor spaces, and alternative spaces with automated performance capabilities. Currently, he is exploring a new genre called "Akinorium," which combines music, art, and theater using sound objects.

Michiko Matsumoto
Born in 1973. Michiko developed schizophrenia in 2000, which made it difficult to live with anxiety, and in 2010, she adopted her cat Hoppe from an animal shelter and started painting Hoppe for her therapy. This activity has become her reason for living, and now she can engage in artistic creation on a daily basis.

We cordially invite you to experience this magical exhibition. Any cooperation in publicizing and sharing information for this exhibition would be greatly appreciated.

Organized by BankART1929
Co-organized by the City of Yokohama, Sports, Culture and Dynamic City Development Bureau