Maruju Art Hangar
Tottori Prefecture
A surprising gallery in the industrial heart of Kurayoshi, Tottori Prefecture, the Maraju Art Hangar offers a wonderful artistic experience. A recent visit revealed a captivating exhibition featuring the works of Manami Ito and Noriyuki Haraguchi, creating a fascinating tension and dialogue between two distinct artistic practices.
The journey begins with Manami Ito's dry point etchings. Her work originates from the concept of an echo, which cascades across the gallery walls. Each piece represents a fading trace, a visual whisper of a sound's memory. Ito succeeds in capturring what one might call a "liminal recall"—the faint, ghostly presence of an echo rendered as a delicate mark on paper, exploring the very edge of sensory recognition
Noriyuki Haraguchi's Oil and Water 2003
In contrast stands Noriyuki Haraguchi's iconic "oil pond” which is a plane of dense, dark liquid, the resonates an ambience of profound silence. Haraguchi artwork brings a kind of presence to the unseen and un heard realities of silence like the deaf in a world of vibration and nothing else and to consider that while the human ear identifies nothing, sensitive instruments might detect the subtle, atomic ripple of the oil interacting with the atmosphere. Haraguchi’s work explores a liminal space of its own—a dense, weighted stillness that barely seems to touch the air around it, like the fleeting moment where day meets night.
The interconnectedness between these two artists is where the exhibition truly sparks curiosity. The contrast is extreme: Ito’s visual representation of a fading echo and Haraguchi’s dense, silent oil pool. It is a fleeting connection, a brief glance between two opposing forces before they continue on their separate paths. This show does not provide easy answers; instead, it opens up a world of ideas, pushing the viewer to imagine how these artistic concepts could be taken even further.
This thought-provoking quality inspires new possibilities. One can envision a powerful performance collaboration between these two artists. Imagine Ito’s liminal echo concept rendered not on paper, but with Haraguchi’s oil or another liquid on vast scrolls. Picture this taking place in a public space, perhaps in front of the Tottori Prefectural Museum of Art, where long scrolls could be unfurled, allowing the public to participate directly in the creation of a contemporary masterpiece, transforming them from mere onlookers into active collaborators. The inherent nature of both artists' work lends itself perfectly to such a dynamic community performance.
For any visitor to Tottori Prefecture, the Maraju Art Hangar is a highly recommended destination. Nestled in an unexpected industrial setting, it is a space full of surprises, not least of which is Haraguchi's awe-inspiring ten-ton steel sculpture. It is an impressive and wonderful piece to engage with, capping off an unforgettable artistic encounter.
