AOMORI GOKAN Arts Fest 2024 Main Program/ 2024 Exhibition [Spring / Summer]NINAGAWA Mika with EiM: Where Humanity Meets Nature

The Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art presents a large-scale solo exhibition of works created in collaboration between the photographer and film director Ninagawa Mika and the creative team EiM, from Sat., April 6 to Sun., September 1, 2024. This project is one of the main programs in AOMORI GOKAN Art Fest 2024.

One of Japan’s most renowned photographers and film directors, the prolific Ninagawa has recently been working with EiM alongside her individual activities. EiM is a team in which creators and researchers in various fields organically network according to the project needs. Through collaboration with team members such as data scientist Miyata Hiroaki, set designer Enzo, and creative director Kuwana Isao, Ninagawa is exploring new possibilities for the experience of her works. These include installations in which viewers wander through interior spaces, themselves becoming part of the work.

In this exhibition, alongside installations created with EiM, Ninagawa will present photographs of flowers from various regions of Japan, including cherry blossoms shot in Hirosaki. Also, Ninagawa’s well-known past series will be arranged in a new timeline, illustrating their connection with her recent works.

Since the early stages of her career, Ninagawa has consistently made flowers a central motif of her photography. She is particularly drawn to flowers that are nurtured by human hands and coexist with people, in contrast to wildflowers in untouched wilderness. Especially in recent years, she has focused on shooting flowers in various locations across Japan, from local parks to famous flower-viewing sites. It was during one of these photographic expeditions that Ninagawa encountered the cherry blossoms of Hirosaki, and her photographs of them will be featured as the climactic highlight of the show.

Through the exhibition, we aim to illuminate the relationship between humans and nature, and offer opportunities to reconsider the nature, culture, and history underpinning the landscapes we occupy from fresh perspectives.