HÀ NỘI — Japanese contemporary artist Kito Kengo presents his first solo exhibition in Hà Nội, blending colour, light and movement in immersive spatial installations.

The exhibition features two installations, each taking a different approach. In the first, colorful hula hoops – one of Kito’s signature materials are connected and extended from the gallery into the garden, forming a composition that resembles brushstrokes drawn directly through space.

The second installation begins with a self-rotating lantern that the artist encountered during his field research in Hà Nội. Combined with colored filters and mirrors, the movement of the lanterns creates layers of reflections and afterimages, gradually blurring the objects’ original forms.

 

"Combined with colour filters and mirrors, the lanterns create layers of light, reflections and constantly shifting afterimages," said Kito.

"At a certain point, the lantern’s familiar shape dissolves, transforming it from an everyday object on Hà Nội’s streets into a new visual experience.

"The circles mimic brushstrokes across a spatial canvas. I want to explore the relationship between painting and space, filling the voids of the physical environment." 

 

Born in Aichi Prefecture, Kito is a Japanese contemporary artist known for installations that use everyday materials to expand perception of space. He is currently a Professor of Contemporary Art at the Graduate School of Kyoto University of the Arts.

Throughout his career, Kito has presented numerous solo exhibitions in Japan and internationally, including Full Lightness at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art in 2020 and Unity on the Hudson at the Hudson River Museum, New York in 2023.

Visiting the exhibition, Thu Thảo, 21, from Hà Nội, said she was struck by the colourful hula hoops and the lanterns inspired by Hà Nội Capital.

“They feel familiar, like a street corner I know well, yet presented in a completely different way,” she said.

The exhibition runs until December 6 at the Japan Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange at 27 Quang Trung Street. Open daily from 9am to 6pm with free admission. — VNS