Exhibition “Measuring the World” and “Utopia”
Opening: Tue 11 Dec, 6 pm
Exhibition: 11 Dec 2012 – 06 Jan 2013
The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange
From The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam:
The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam and Nhasan Studio proudly present two contemporary art exhibitions, “Measuring the World” by Nguyen Huy An, Yuichiro Tamura, Kumpei Miyata and “Utopia” by Tuan Mami from 12 December 2012 – 6 January 2013 in Hanoi.
In “Measuring the World”, three artists from Japan and Vietnam will provoke you to re-think about the size and scale of the world around us, through their art works.
Nguyen Huy An measures the height of the Hanoi’s tallest skyscraper with pieces of paper and folds the pieces of paper into simple shapes. A newly-made paper installation will be exhibited.
Kumpei Miyata, meanwhile, tries to feel the world through his own eyes and with his whole body. In 31 October 2010, he left his home in Fukuoka for Lulea City in Sweden, telling his friend in Lulea by phone that he is coming to Lulea. Finally in 3 December 2010, via 18 countries without taking any airplanes, he arrived at the final destination. He will share this long journey with you through his video installation “I’m sorry for being late”.
Kumpei will also do the daily exercise to jump over the self-made jumping box in front of the exhibition hall.
Yuichiro Tamura, on the other hand, creates a video work without shooting any images but with using available online images from the Google Street View site. This award-winning road movie “NIGHTLESS” will be shown.
In “Utopia”, Tuan Mami will create a new land in the Japan Foundation Library by covering its floor with 100 kg of rice seeds and a thick sheet of glass. This installation aims to create a utopia space within a normal library. This large-scale installation is a part of his on-going project “Untouched Paradise” which aims to invite the visitors to come close to the created paradise resulting in irritation with not being able to touch it.
The pressed rice seeds by glass will grow even without water and soil day by day throughout the exhibition duration. The visitors might paradoxically feel the freedom of the rice plants that grow in such difficult conditions as well as the risky and impossible temptation of touching to feel the rice plant. This installation is conducted specially for elder mothers including Mami’s mother herself who live in Hanoi. By inviting them to this exhibition to enjoy arts, Tuan Mami would like to show to the audiences the definition of social view while explaining the “appearance/disappearance’ structure of an artwork.
These two exhibitions are the part of the project “Skylines With Flying People” which is a multiplex project of contemporary art. For more information on the whole project and schedule, please visit our websites at:
We do hope you will enjoy flying the world of art with us!
Remark: High heels are not recommended when you visit the Japan Foundation as the whole spaces are covered with wooden pallets during the exhibition period.
Exhibition Information
Measuring the World
By: Nguyen Huy An, Yuichiro Tamura, Kumpei Miyata
Duration: Wednesday 12 December 2012 – Sunday 6 January 2013
Open hours: 09:00 – 18:00 (closed on 29/12-3/1)
Venue: The Japan Foundation Exhibition Hall (27 Quang Trung, Hanoi)
Utopia
By: Tuan Mami
Duration: Wednesday 12 December 2012 – Sunday 6 January 2013
Open hours: 09:30 – 11:30 / 12:30 – 18:00 (closed on Sundays and 29/12-3/1)
Venue: The Japan Foundation Library (27 Quang Trung, Hanoi)
Some selected images




![]() | Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam 27 Quang Trung Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội Tel: 3944 7419 www.jpf.org.vn |