The town sleeps in the water, waiting for your voice
Photographer Tomohide Ikeya, who has gazed upon the oceans of the world, will hold a photo exhibition that dialogues with memories of the Nakagawa Canal.
The invisible relationship between humans and nature that the "OCEAN" series explores echoes the tranquil scenery of the Nakagawa Canal, which once served as an industrial waterway. Mud collected from the bottom of the canal and unused building materials are combined with the technology of local company Kondo Printing to give them a new shape.
Along with Ikeya's works, works by children who participated in the "Explore the World! Children's Art Lab" workshop will also be on display.
Date: May 23, 2025 (Friday) - June 1, 2025 (Sunday)
Business hours: 10:00-17:00
Closed: (1st and 3rd Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays)
Venue: PALET.NU
5-chome Hirokawacho, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya
The Nakagawa Canal was once an important waterway that supported the industrial development of Nagoya. In 1964, it reached its peak, with 70,000 ships passing through it annually, but just four years later, in 1968, it underwent a rapid change with the closure of the Matsushige Lock.
In modern times, the boundary between the natural environment and manmade structures has become blurred, transforming the river into a place where living creatures can live. This exhibition explores the memories of this transformation and new possibilities from Ikeya's artistic perspective.
This event is part of a two-year social experiment by PALET.NU, and will be an opportunity to explore the potential of the Nakagawa Canal through the perspective of artists and consider the connection between local resources and artistic value.
Tomohide Ikeya
Born in 1974. His hobby is scuba diving, and he draws inspiration from the extraordinary underwater environment.
He focuses on the dual nature of water, which nurtures life while at the same time taking it away, and explores its philosophical aspects. He also fuses various artistic expressions, such as anime, Western painting, and dance, which influenced him as a child, to create his own unique visual world. He continues to create works that connect the traditional and the contemporary, making full use of a variety of mediums, including digital technology and plaster.
A fusion of the "OCEAN" series and the Nakagawa Canal. Digitally processed photographs to express the original landscape with man-made objects removed. Slime and shells (mussels) from the Nakagawa Canal were crushed and mixed into plaster for use in the work. A unique technique of printing photographs onto plaster (a modern interpretation of fresco painting) was used to create works that question the boundaries between "man-made and natural" and "past and present."
Color: Off-white Size: Width 40 x Height 39 x Depth 9cm / Handle 57cm
Material: Cotton Pockets: 1 outside, 2 inside Price: ¥6,600 (tax included)