Chiharu Shiota Opens Her First Exhibition in the Czech Republic
World-renowned Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota will transform two large gallery spaces at Kunsthalle Praha with her magnificent installations. Interwoven with thread, these spaces will immerse visitors in a dreamlike world full of emotions and symbolism.
A Labyrinth of Red Thread
The exhibition The Unsettled Soul invites reflection on life, death, and the invisible connections between people and places. Shiota’s works combine material and spiritual elements, with the central motif being red thread—symbolizing the fragile yet strong ties that bind individuals, cultures, and histories.
One of her featured pieces, Heart at Your Home, shaped like houses, explores the search for home—both physical and emotional—and the question of identity. The metallic structures are interwoven with red threads, representing familial, cultural, and communal bonds. These threads, often associated with blood ties, reflect not only the artist’s personal experience of living “between” different places but also the universal human desire for connection.
Clothes as Second Skin and Echoes of the Past
As part of her exploration of personal identity, Shiota uses clothing as a symbol of a „second skin“, representing the boundary between the inner self and the external world. Her installation Multiple Realities features seven rotating dresses and eight suspended objects, gently moving as if breathing.
Shiota often incorporates objects imbued with specific meanings into her works. In the Unsettled Soul, a charred piano takes center stage—a vision inspired by her childhood memory of witnessing a neighbor’s house burn down. What left the deepest impression on her was the image of the piano reduced to ashes. Silent Concert captures the haunting absence of sound and the persistence of memories, even after physical objects have disappeared. This piece reflects Shiota’s enduring interest in how absence and loss shape our understanding of the world.
Tracing Shiota’s Artistic Journey
The exhibition also provides a glimpse into the evolution of Shiota’s artistic practice—from her early works in the 1990s, where her now-iconic visual language first took shape, to more recent creations. Visitors can view films, archival materials, and details of her professional biography.
Chiharu Shiota Around the World
Born in Osaka, Japan, Shiota now lives and works in Berlin. She has represented Japan at the Venice Biennale and exhibited in some of the world’s most prestigious galleries, including the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles, Gropius Bau in Berlin, and the National Museum of Art in Osaka.
She even drew inspiration from the Vltava River during a past visit to Prague for her installation Crossing Paths with Destiny. The river spoke to her as a symbol of the flow of time, connecting Prague not only with other countries but also with people and their shared stories.
The Unsettled Soul will be accompanied by a rich program of lectures, workshops, and discussions. An illustrated catalog with a unique Japanese binding will also be released, offering deeper insights into the work of this exceptional artist.
The exhibition will run from November 28, 2024, to April 28, 2025.
