Shinji Ohmaki’s solo exhibition entitled “Zekkei - Vacuum Fluctuation” makes me feel sad. Why?
     Ohmaki used slag, which had been made from burnt garbage, for creating the installations presented in this exhibition. Ohmaki exhibited these large-scale installations in the SPACE C, Tokyo Wonder Site Shibuya, which is composed of four spaces. He spread a sufficient amount of slag to cover the whole space and also used a large volume of water. In the exhibition room entitled “Silent Vaticination” (slag/discarded boat/Blu-ray Disc, 2009), we walk on a slag beach, which looks like a sandy shore, in the dimness, and look at a “city” landscape which appears in front of us over a wrecked boat on which birds are perching. We are standing close by the accumulation of slag which is what rubbish becomes in the end, and an area which is filled with buildings is seen far away in the distance, though this distant place is where we live our daily lives. The massive amount of slag piled up under our feet is exactly what we have created in our daily lives. Therefore, normally, the slag would create a realistic image.
     Nevertheless, there is not enough reality to make us take the exhibit absolutely seriously. I am walking on it wearing shoes and am not touching it, in accordance with the notice. Therefore, I am not hurt by the installation. In other words, it does not make me feel realistic pain. This work gives us only a fictional impression though it was created using slag and a discarded boat. Indeed, I recognize Ohmaki’s high artistic motivation in creating the installations in this exhibition in that the venue, Tokyo Wonder Site Shibuya, has been transfigured completely through his work, but I cannot say for sure that this exhibition makes us feel keenly the need to consider environmental issues.

     Let me give you another example of the exhibits. The installation named “Vacuum Fluctuation - Skyline” (slag, 2009) is displayed using SPACE A, which is on the first floor, and SPACE B on the second floor. On the first floor, there is a mountain of slag. Then, ascending a spiral staircase, we find there is a vaulted ceiling. The opening section of the ceiling has been shut and the floor has been paved with a good deal of slag. Therefore, we can imagine that the mountain of slag has been created from slag which has dropped from the vaulted ceiling on the second floor. Nonetheless, we never feel any other deep emotion from this creation.

     While moving from SPACE C to SPACE D, in which the “Sinless Vandal” (slag/water/Blu-ray Disc, 2009) is displayed, there is a moment when, just for an instant, the space is plunged into almost total darkness. It is only for a few seconds before the image of the “Sinless Vandal” comes into sight. At the moment the darkness swooped down on me I felt scared and uncertain about the future. Nevertheless, except for that fear, I did not have any special feeling about this exhibition. That is why I wrote at the beginning of the article that this exhibition made me feel sad. Perhaps I am insensitive, but in regard to materials covering environmental matters, a video I was made to watch in a social studies class at elementary school gave me a more intense impression than this exhibition.

     In the press release of this exhibition, there is a brief description about the themes Ohmaki has explored, beginning with the question, “What is garbage?” At the end of the message, it says, “This exhibition makes a proposal to society through the power of art.” Nonetheless, to what extent are the creations which are displayed in this exhibition connected with “society”? How many residents in Tokyo have acknowledged Tokyo Wonder Site? These are important questions that deserve consideration.. How many “societies” or “realities” does “art”, which is the theme of my discussion, relate to? I cannot help thinking about that. This is the reason I repeat: “This exhibition makes me feel sad.”
(Translated by Nozomi Nakayama)