“Ways of Remembering This World”
Ryosuke Imamura Solo Exhibition
2025.11.01（sat.）- 11.30 (sun.)
open on fri., sat., & sun. 12:00-18:00
appointments are available on weekdays
free admission
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In the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, the siblings who are led deep into the forest leave behind breadcrumbs as markers to find their way back home. The term “breadcrumb trail” used on websites today to indicate one’s current location originates from this tale. Yet in the story, the crumbs are eaten by birds and vanish without a trace. I find myself drawn to this uncertain and fragile way of leaving behind a path. It is not only because of its ambiguity, but perhaps precisely because of that ambiguity, that it conveys a strong sense of urgency.
Although the kind of urgency I feel is quite different (it is not a matter of life and death), my expression also stems from a desire to remember the events of this world. In this exhibition, alongside works that continue my ongoing theme of attempting to preserve fleeting and uncertain sights, sounds, and tactile sensations, I will also present a video work that documents an experiment from a collaborative project with artist Takayuki Mitsushima, centered on the theme of “exchange of senses,” in which I asked him to drive my car.
Ryosuke Imamura
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Imamura often takes small everyday events and memories as the themes of his works. Using familiar materials, such as daily objects, he expresses his ideas through many different media, including video, sculpture, painting, and installation. His works often include fragrant plants like gardenia, fragrant olive, and jasmine. These scents awaken the viewer’s sense of smell, sparking memories, which is one of the special features of his art.
In a past exhibition at eN arts (November 2018), a sweet smell spread throughout the gallery during the exhibition. Some visitors thought the scent was part of the artwork. In fact, it came from holly flowers blooming in a neighbor’s garden. In this way, Imamura’s works make the viewer’s everyday senses sharper, bringing unnoticed sights and smells into focus and giving them new meanings. Sometimes, people even mistook small things from daily life – like a piece of glass found in the garden – for part of the artwork. These kinds of experiences awaken sensory memories that are hard to record and give visitors a new way of perceiving the world.
This exhibition marks Imamura’s return to eN arts after seven years, following his 2018 solo exhibition “At the Place That Is Not There”. It will include a collaborative video project with artist Takayuki Mitsushima, as well as other works that can only be fully experienced in the exhibition space. Visitors will be able to relive sensory memories using all five senses that go beyond what can be captured in simple recollections.
Yoko Kuwahara | eN arts
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