Her first solo exhibit in
a U.S. museum, Aki Sasamoto’s Delicate
Cycle at the Sculpture Garden is comprised of new work created for the
space. Sculptures and videos are placed sparingly throughout the lower level
galleries.
Once downstairs the faint
bustling of the world outside is replaced only by sound bleed from a single
video. The contrast of cleanliness and filth is immediately apparent – two
distorted shower stalls held up by pulleys feel out of place next to the
flaking paint on the brick and cement walls of the gallery. Down a hallway and
squeezed along a wall two washing machines and dryers sit idle. Of everything
in the gallery these objects feel at home – as if a tenant will appear with a
laundry basket of dirty clothes. Their industrial exteriors match the rugged
materials which make up the floors and walls, but inside they’re just as
pristine as the showers. Above them is a video feed of a massive ball of sheets,
located in the adjacent tunnel. The rolled-up linens call to mind the habits of
dung beetles (who roll dung into balls as a food source and breeding chamber) that
inspired Sasamoto. Everything feels intentional, even the boulder of laundry
seems specifically placed – as though some unseen inhabitant has just gone out
for detergent.
For how decrepit the space
feels, everything appears clean. The showers are pristine and free of grime,
the washers and dryers, although worn from use, look cared for. Along a back
wall are stacks of shoeboxes lit from within. Peering through holes crumpled
pages can be seen. Aside from these pages there seems to be no clutter, no
excess.
Ultimately the exhibit
feels too sparse. The gallery, which is mostly made up of hallways, is mostly
empty. Transitioning between the different pieces can be confusing as it’s
difficult to tell where spaces end and hallways begin. A slightly smaller venue
may have served these pieces better as they felt physically too removed from
each other.
While Aki Sasamoto is
successful in contrasting her immaculate sculptures against their crumbling
surroundings, the venue ultimately overpowers the exhibit through its sheer size
and disorder, which even pristine sculptures cannot outshine.
(REVISED)
 |
| The Ball (2016) |
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