Maru Gallery in Kaigan Minato-ku
Closes in 15 days
Rubber walls slowly close in on you from all sides to the amplified sound of a thudding heartbeat, vacuum-packing you in a metallic, hexagonal pod. Sporting a white leather umpire mask so you can breathe as you are slowly rendered immobile, your adrenaline pumps -- at least you have a panic button, if it all becomes too claustrophobic and intense.
The creation of conceptual artist Makoto Ishiwata, "[vacuum packing! : heartbeat]" is a giant, futuristic, interactive metal installation. In 2003 Ishiwata won the Kirin Art Award, and he has caused a sensation internationally for other creations that vacuum-pack attendees at his unveilings.
Now he is showing his newest piece at the Maru Gallery (www.marugallery.com), a spacious loft in which Kara Besher exhibits young, up-and-coming artists. Ishiwata's intention with "[vacuum packing! : heartbeat]" is to replicate for visitors the experience of what it might feel like to be a cell, a fetus or an atom bound within the larger framework of a physical body or the universe. The use of rubber in his work also allows "People to experience a kind of fetish which is considered taboo in society -- through my installations it becomes a socially acceptable 'art' experience."
As with all art, different visitors will have markedly different reactions, some finding the sound of a heartbeat calming or meditative, others finding it confining and disturbing. But whether you decide to jump in and participate, or merely spectate, the visual impact and more philosophical questions raised by Ishiwata's work will make it worth the visit.
