From December 10th (Sat) to December 15th (Thursday), 2022, YUGEN Gallery will hold a solo exhibition by artist wimp "Vertigo".

Characters who lose their appearance and whereabouts

A concept that reveals the essence of the phenomenon as the outline becomes ambiguous and the substance blurs. For example, in the work "PACKING SERIES" inspired by playground equipment wrapped in blue sheets, figures wrapped in blue sheets are 3D scanned and converted into CG data. You can see it in the fact that the character's presence is increased by hiding information.

Departing from this awareness, wimp's consistent themes are "ghosts" and "labyrinths." I've been focusing on fables that are passed down to the public without being known by the author. Although the true meaning of the story is preserved in the process of being handed down orally, the characters change depending on the land and climate. The gap is like a ghost, and the keyword of the labyrinth appears in the wandering of the people who tell and hear it.

The sense of incongruity lurking in everyday life like a ghost

"I've known it for a long time, and I should have been familiar with it, but it was much bigger than I imagined, and it was a strange landscape that looked like a game map. However, I was certainly excited to be 'here'. While I was on the path to the optimal solution (shown by the map app) and I could see my destination, the huge torii gate that suddenly appeared in front of me shook my consciousness and senses.”

During these moments of getting lost, I felt a communion with the unknown in the space I was standing in, which was also illuminated by the strong afternoon sun in my hometown of Shiga Prefecture, where I currently base my creative activities.

“When I was living in Tokyo, I hadn’t been exposed to enough sunshine for a long time to make my eyes squint. When I was a child, I had a strong memory of being dazzled outside, and even in photographs I can see a scowl. I just thought it was too bright, but then I realized that there aren't many tall buildings like in Tokyo, and the sun is shining directly on me."

Vertigo as a sensation of rejuvenation

Starting from "When I get dizzy, I feel lightheaded, or rather, I feel strange." I believe that we can grasp the essence of things only by being in such a state.

“Even if it’s just music, the joy of finding a treasure-like track (song) by accident has decreased. Nowadays, services thoroughly analyze individuals and provide what they need. While accepting this convenience, But is it really happy?"

In the approximately 30 works exhibited in this exhibition, the torii gates that appeared as if they were on a trip, the characters whose names are unknown, and the characters that have been forgotten by the world are cut off from the screen and drawn in a nested state. . At first glance, it seems to be established, but in reality it is a broken screen composition that shakes the sense of balance and tries to release the viewer from the immeasurability of everyday life and outside of consciousness.

Truth found by hesitation and waiting

Artist name wimp means "wimp". It is a self-declaration and a call to society that I will change my weak self, but I will live without overdoing it and figuring out my limits.

"It's hard to live when you're given the shortest distance. It may take time to look at things from multiple angles, but I think it's important to find your own way of walking. To be guided to the right direction. Is it not necessary to hesitate?”

You can only know what a road is like when you walk it. The philosopher Martin Heidegger develops the idea that the truth can only be reached by experiencing the process and slowly taking time, and that waiting is a state of opening to the essence of events.

"Even if there is an answer, there are various ways to get there. To make it easier for everyone to live in this society," wimp sets up a process called a maze, and tries to recover what is lost in a simplified world. I wait impatiently.