©Karuizawa New Art Museum

Compass of Contemporary Art: Using the "Connect and Expand (Cross-border and Extended Expression)" Exhibition as a Guide, Chapter 2

In this second chapter, we will delve into the question of "how should we view contemporary art?" from several perspectives, using specific works displayed in the exhibition. Based on pieces from the "Connect and Expand (Cross-border and Extended Expression)" exhibition, we will explore how changing our viewpoint can reveal new insights by examining various forms of expression including paintings, video works, pieces created with specially processed materials, and even T-shirts.

Viewing from Different Angles

Installation view of Kyoko Nagashima's works. From this position, the left and center works show vases that appear faintly in some areas and clearly in others, while from different positions they transform into different images. ©Karuizawa New Art Museum

When viewing artwork, changing your position can dramatically alter your impression. Looking from the right versus the left can change the atmosphere; with portraits, facial expressions might appear different. Whether you peer down from above, crouch to look up from below, view the entire piece from a distance, or examine details up close—these approaches are viewing methods anyone can try at any exhibition without special knowledge. Small changes in perspective might lead to significant discoveries.

Many artworks change when viewed from different angles, but in this exhibition, some pieces transform completely depending on viewpoint. One example is Kyoko Nagashima's works using lenticular technique: "Snake House - A," "Seven Colors Flowers on the alcove," and "Overlaped Seven Colors Flowers on the alcove." Lenticular printing is a technique that uses special lens sheets to create images that change or appear three-dimensional when viewed from different angles. In "Snake House - A," viewing from the left reveals a garden with a hanging basket, while from the right, you see an indoor space with a large window.

Kyoko Nagashima "Snake House - A" 2015, 82.0 × 82.0 × 3.0cm, Lenticular paint on plastic

In "Seven Colors Flowers on the alcove" and "Overlaped Seven Colors Flowers on the alcove," different vases emerge when viewed from left or right. These perspective-dependent changes were inspired by the artist's childhood experiences with snakes. Nagashima's works use lenticular lenses to represent the passage of time within a single image.

Kyoko Nagashima "Overlaped Seven Colors Flowers on the alcove" 2025, 47.0 × 70.0cm, Lenticular paint on plastic

Kyoko Nagashima "Seven Colors Flowers on the alcove" 2025, 57.0 × 100.0cm, Lenticular paint on plastic

Viewing through Technique

What materials are used to create artwork is another important consideration. The video work "a tribute of David Lynch" by Katsukokoiso.ai is created using AI. The figures that appear on screen look human-like but are constructed images. This piece was created as a tribute to filmmaker David Lynch in the year of his death. It offers glimpses of Lynch's worldview, which was strongly influenced by Surrealism, but blurs the boundary between reality and unreality—it's unclear whether these are automatic AI-generated images or constructed by the artist, creating a strange narrative that unfolds with mysterious imagery.

While this work pays homage to film, Katsukokoiso.ai primarily presents work on Instagram, designed to be viewed on smartphones. In the exhibition, a large television is used to accommodate more viewers, but the image is displayed in the same vertical format as on a smartphone, respecting the artist's intention and the work's aesthetic.

Installation view of the artwork ©Karuizawa New Art Museum

Video expression has evolved through various techniques including camera filming, animation, stop motion, and more recently VFX. However, this work is created through a different process altogether. Using generative AI—a rapidly evolving cutting-edge technology that humanity is still grappling with how to handle—the artist manifests specific imagery that seems to exist in reality but doesn't exist anywhere.

By focusing on technique, artwork offers an entry point for understanding not just "what it represents" but also "how it came to be." Currently, creation using generative AI sparks active debates ranging from "Is this art?" to questions about originality and rights issues, with usage sometimes facing criticism. These questions themselves indicate that new technologies are enabling previously impossible forms of expression.

Viewing through Time Period

Considering "when a work was created" provides another valuable perspective. "Contemporary art" encompasses a wide range of creation periods, from works made shortly after World War II to those created just this year.

Exhibition view ©Karuizawa New Art Museum

The T-shirts covering an entire wall in this exhibition are all vintage pieces from the 1980s, created using silk-screen printing. The raised printed areas give them a strong material presence, vividly conveying the distinctive atmosphere of that era. These signature models from skateboarding brands popular during the 1980s street culture boom evoke the sensibilities and values of that time. The imagery often features psychedelic elements, skulls, and monsters—underground and dark motifs that differ from conventional aesthetics—showing the influence of both street culture and West Coast psychedelic (hippie) culture. Within this movement, designers and artists active in skate culture connected with heavy metal and graffiti art scenes to create new forms of expression.

Viewing through Questions

Paying attention to "how works are exhibited" is another way to enjoy art. Exhibitions aren't arranged randomly—they're often organized by era or theme. Even when arrangements seem chaotic, there's always intention behind them. By tracing relationships between works, you can discover backgrounds and contexts not easily visible when viewing pieces individually.

Artwork image. Artwork information provided below.

Having the reaction "What is this?" when facing an artwork is an important entry point for enjoying contemporary art. What did you think when you saw this piece? Perhaps "There's something strange in this snow mountain landscape," "There seems to be a hole at the bottom of the image," "The signature is unusually large," "The character seems blacked out," or "It looks like a collaboration between an adult and child." Using your initial impressions as clues and pausing to ask yourself "Why did I feel this way?" or "What caught my attention?" is another approach to viewing contemporary art.

This work is "The Matterhorn and Bear" (2024, 53.0 × 45.5, oil and acrylic on canvas) by Alexandre Imai. Reading the title reveals that the mountain depicted is the Matterhorn and the black silhouette in the center is a "bear." Imai adds bear figures to landscape paintings similar to those distributed as interior products in Western countries.

This work employs the Surrealist technique of "dépaysement," which creates a sense of dissonance by removing a motif from its original environment or context and placing it in a completely different setting. Famous examples of dépaysement include René Magritte's "The Son of Man," which depicts an apple floating in front of a person's face, and Salvador Dalí's "The Persistence of Memory."

Imai adapts this technique for contemporary expression, creating his own humorous method to reveal the eerie qualities lurking in our modern everyday world, rather than reproducing the antiquated approach of Dalí or Magritte.

If your initial impressions align with the explanation, you may have approached the artist's thinking or the work's structure. However, the explanation may not resolve all your questions. Using explanations and titles as clues is a traditional approach that helps deepen understanding, while deliberately avoiding reading them initially can be another way to enjoy art.

Even if your impressions were completely different, there's no need to be disappointed. Experiencing such gaps and differences is itself one way to enjoy viewing art through questions.

Exhibition view ©Karuizawa New Art Museum

In this chapter, we've introduced several perspectives for viewing contemporary art: changing angles, focusing on technique, tracing time periods, and raising questions. There are other approaches too, such as considering location-based meaning or reading explanations. Moving between these various viewpoints enriches the viewing experience.

In the next chapter, we will explore another entry point for thinking about contemporary art through the works of Ay-O, which are prominently featured in the exhibition.

Connect and expand (Crossing Borders and Expanding Fields of Expression)