The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) will be hosting an exclusive Sydney exhibition as part of the 2016-2017 Sydney International Art Series, presenting the public with a major showcase of renowned Japanese contemporary artist Tatsuo Miyajima, a man known for his immersive, technology-driven sculptures and installations. This will be Miyajima’s first major solo exhibition in Australia.
Key sculptures and installations from the beginning of Miyajima’s career to the present, as well as video and performance works, will be on display during the exhibition, offering a comprehensive look into his object-based practice.
Museum of Contemporary Art Australia Director, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor OBE, commented: “The reputation of our curatorial team for working closely with artists has enabled us to attract the likes of Anish Kapoor, Yoko Ono, Chuck Close, Grayson Perry and now Miyajima.”
A constant in Miyajima’s practice is a range of numerical counters that count from 1 to 9 using light emitting diodes (LEDs), presented in vast groupings with contrasting speeds and colours, symbolising both the multitude of humanity as well as the individual, with their varied tempos and flashing colours. The also reflect time’s importance in our lives and are inspired from Buddhist exploration of morality and human cycles of life, death, and renewal.
One of the most notable exhibitions to come to the MCA is Mega-Death, first displayed at the Venice Biennale in 1995. This room-scale installation of blinking blue LEDs, each representing human life of energy, is a twinkling memorial to the Holocaust. The lights are programmed to swith off at intervals, plunging viewers into complete darkness momentarily, before lighting up and counting once more.
The ticketed exhibition will begin on 3rd November 2016 and run until 5th March 2017.
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