Please tell us about the exhibition “In & Out”, which has been held in Soso Cafe since the 2nd of September.

The first step for this exhibition was when I thought of a giraffe “how uncomfortable to live in that way” at a zoo. Also, I wanted to show the snaky shape and overlapped parts of a pine tree as well as the height of the sky, which I saw in Shikoku, Japan, in my works. Other things are mixed in the works but that’s all about this exhibition. The name of “Black Box” is given from a voice recorder in an airplane. It shows the truth, which is from a place where nothing was there, -> the outside! On the other hand, in “Red Box”, I want to show hiding something -> the inside!

In addition, the photos from the traveling series, which increase as I travel, are displayed in this exhibition. They are not composite photos but they turn to something unreal, which are far from the real world, by being photocopied many times. From “Out” to “In”, the exhibition will become the memories of visitors but I hope they will have a chance to talk about this exhibition sometime in the future. Like this, the world is turning around.

“Black Box” and “Red Box” are massive works. What sort of creating process do you take, regardless of the size of a work?

I spend quite a lot of time drawing and something falls down to me while doing that. In other words, it is as if there’s a slot machine within my head and I push the button everyday. Sometimes I create small works impromptu and this brings me unexpected discoveries.

As the first step, I create a small prototype and make it bigger as I calculate many things. This is the same as making architecture. If I create something big, I structure it while I am careful of the balance and think about materials. This is because a sloppy thing will be made if I roughly create it. I capture works constructively when I am creating them. I think this is a bit different from the one when I think of something.

The leader of “Nipponia Elektronica”, Kentaro Hamasato participates in this exhibition as well. You have done some collaborations with other artists, such as creating CD sleeves for singers. What do you think about your works that are mixed with the works that have tastes different from yours?

I have not done so many collaborations so far. So I thought it might be good to do something different. I have been a fan of Hamasato’s sounds and we were talking of doing something together. So it’s nice that our plan came true in this time. Hamasato, a designer Hiroko Natori and I made the limited booklet CD for this exhibition together. Dealing with many things together was like a club activity at school and I enjoyed it. I can do what I want to do when I create something on my own. Having collaboration with others is good fun but sometimes I find it difficult. However, there are definitely new discoveries from the collaboration, which is interesting. It’s better to do something rather than doing nothing. I sometimes do something as I follow my instincts. Getting to know new people is pretty important in life.

Please tell us your plans for the future.

I am going to participate in a group exhibition “Jugemu Exhibition” at Tomio Koyama Gallery in Tokyo from the 27th of September to the 6th of October. After that, nothing has been planned yet.

Keiko Miyata “In & Out” Exhibition
Date: September 2nd – 21st, 2002
Open: 11:00 – 23:00 (Sundays until 21:00)
Place: Soso Cafe
Address: 1F Sansei Bld., South 1 West 13 Chuo-ku, Sapporo
Supported by Art by Xerox
Admission Free
Tel: +81 (0)11 280 2240
https://www.shift.jp.org/soso/