Nawa Kohei: Generative Interface

A solo exhibition titled Generative Interface, devoted to the work of sculptor Nawa Kohei, is to be staged at the Towada Art Center, and the new Community Center (final name TBD, designed by Sou Fujimoto Architects) opening in Towada in September. The exhibition will run from, June 18 to November 20, 2022 at the Towada Art Center, and from October 1 to November 20, 2022 at the Community Center.

Through his unique concept of perceiving the world in terms of “cells” (both biological and/or particles), Nawa pursues new approaches to sculpture, spanning a variety of techniques, and materials, including glass and liquid. Presenting works from a range of series including the Esquisse drawings from the artist’s postgrad studies, the well-known PixCell sculptures, and his new White Code series, Generative Interface will show the development of Nawa’s practice over time, focusing on his expansion of the concept of sculpture through the exploration of materials.

By superimposing new images on phenomena unchanged since antiquity, it is possible to expand our interpretations of those phenomena to an infinite degree. For example, overlaying the contemporary image of “code” on the phenomenon of “intermittent rain” allows us to expand the meaning of that phenomenon. This exhibition deals with these marginal information domains that spill over from day-to-day understanding, and the expansion of sensation and imagination in response.

The title Generative Interface shows the concept underlying production of all Nawa Kohei’s works. In his PixCell series, where surfaces change form in filmic fashion with the shifting of perspectives caused by the lens effect; and Biomatrix (W) in which bubbles erupt in a grid pattern from silicon oil, constantly-shifting interfaces subtly stimulate the vision, sharpening the viewer’s sensibilities. Nawa’s concept focuses on the “skin as interface between matter and sensibility, against a background of the reality of perception and cognition in the digital era.

【 Nawa Kohei: Generative Interface　Trailer 】

Videography： Ishikawa Kazuya