“The Mind between Tears and Joy” gallery presents paintings, videos and installations that interpret human emotions, such as laughter and sadness. Shōei Matsuda’s The Big Flat Now (2022), an enormous balloon portraying the social media laughing/crying emoji, almost dominates the entire hall. In Tony Oursler’s Pink (2003) and Ello (2003), two human faces are visualized humorously with moving eyeballs and mouths, winking eyes, and chattering voices. Pink’s face is superimposed onto a frog-shaped head, while Ello’s face is deformed and projected onto a round, white mass. Other works by Federico Herrero and Toshiyuki Konishi delineate human expressions in vivid strokes and colors.

Shōei Matsuda, The Big Flat Now, 2022, Photo: Alma Reyes

Outside the galleries, one finds an intriguing stage of sculptures in welded scrap metal and mechanical parts. pUN-Disarm Clock (2013) by Mexican artist Pedro Reyes is a musical instrument comprised of a clock made from illegal guns. The satire reflects the prevalent issue of gun violence in Mexico. Every fifteen minutes, the metal membranes jiggle and ring out percussive metallic sounds in a call for viewers to ponder on the possible future void of violence. Reyes is actively involved in The People’s United Nations (pUN) project, which addresses human crises solutions through art media.


Pedro Reyes, pUN – Disarm Clock, 2013, Collection: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa © Pedro Reyes, Photo: Alma Reyes

The showcases truly invigorate our depth of thought in relation to tangible and intangible elements in our daily lives. Also try to catch other special collections being displayed until September 18: Yoshitomo Nara’s Dog-o-rama with the gigantic Pup Up the Dog; Terumasa Ikeda’s enchanting “raden” (mother-of-pearl) inlay techniques fused with pulsed lasers and ultrasonic vibrators in Shell of Phantom Light; and Kenryou Gu’s digital weaving photography in Aperto 18 GU Kenryou Intervals of the afterimage.

Collection Exhibition 1 It knows: When Forms Become Mind
Date: April 8th – November 5th, 2023
Opening Hours: 10:00 – 18:00 (Fridays and Saturdays until 20:00)
Closed on Mondays (except September 18, October 9, October 30), September 19, October 10, October 31)
Place: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Address: 1-2-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Tel: +81 (0)76 220 2800
https://www.kanazawa21.jp