AD MINOLITI / YIN HO / EMI OTAGURO
Science Window

May 11 - June 17, 2018
Opening receptiozn: Friday, May 11, 6-8pm

AD MINOLITI　Queer Deco　2018, inkjet print on canvas, 140 x 100 cm

The word “science” suggests various meanings, such as “natural science,” “technology,” and “knowledge.” “Science” is translated into Japanese as “Kagaku (a collection of various studies).” However, science originally means “knowledge,” as it is derived from old Latin scientia whose meaning is “know.” In ancient times, science and philosophy were not differentiated, and humanity aspired to know the origin of the world and the truth of the universe. Science began from the moment when humanity raised questions “why?” about various phenomena happening in the world. Science has continued to respond to these questions raised by humans along their path toward development. However, even now, when science and technology seems to have reached their height, we still feel the need to ask “why?”

Our ancestors have tried to provide a rationale for unexplainable phenomena through stories such as myths and folk tales. In ancient Greece, philosophy and science became separated from myth through a process that accelerated over the ages. Since the 17th century, thanks to the significant progress of science, we became able to understand diverse phenomena more accurately. After all, has this world in which we live really become clearer than before? Instead, the world where stories have been replaced with scientific understanding may have turned back toward chaos and transformed into an even more complex place.

Ad Minoliti, Yin Ho, and Emi Otaguro are artists who differ from each other in their countries of birth, the culture in which they were raised, and their language in which they think; but all of them continuously ask “why?” about themselves and their relationship with the world. Ad Minoliti aims to uncover fixed ideas about gender through her geometric expression while posing question against existing rules and standards such as “what is normal?”. Yin Ho and Emi Otaguro pick up their materials from unique but familiar things such as stone, carpet, and chewing gum; through their artwork, they explore their relationship with the world while knitting their original stories.

The exhibition title “Science Window” is quoted from the Japanese slang phrase “rika no mado.” The phrase alludes to the fact that the fastener of a female’s pants is open, and was invented to pair up with “shakai no mado (social window),” popularly used for joking about a male (but it did not become prevalent, though). We lead our daily lives while hiding our private areas against society by securely fastening the faster of our pants or skirts. However, if the “window” were to accidentally remain open or consciously kept open, our private emotions such as thoughts, feelings, and desires will be disclosed and exposed towards society. In this exhibition, the three female artists, Ad Minoliti, Yin Ho, and Emi Otaguro, promise the audience that they would keep their “windows” open. This exhibition is realized by overlapping their private spaces with real, social spaces, and that is why the exhibition is such a stimulating experience to us.

Ad Minoliti was born in 1980 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lives and works in Buenos Aires.
Recent exhibitions include "Play Pen 3.0" at Aichi Triennale, Aichi, 2016, "Case Study Cat Houses" at Galería Agustina Ferreyra and Beta Local, San Juan, Puerto Rico, "Mercosur 10th Biennal" in Brasil, 2015, "CSH_Utopia" at Galería Agustina Ferreyra, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2015, "Playtime" at Edel Assanti, London, UK, 2016. among others. She has received grants from the Ministry of Culture of Argentina, the Metropolitan Fund for the Arts of Buenos Aires and Mexico’s FONCA Conaculta, as well a several awards including the National Painting Award from the Central Bank of the Republic of Argentina (2015), the CV0 Award from Ruth Benzacar Gallery (2004), and Acquisition Prize at the Arcos Dorados Latin American Competition (2013).
She is an agent at the Artistic Investigation Center of Argentina since 2009, year in which she also founded the group PintorAs, a feminist collective of Argentinian painters.
http://www.minoliti.com.ar/

Yin Ho was born in 1981 in Milwaukee, WI, USA. Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.
Her most recent solo show, "Cucumber Skin Jacket" opened in April 2018 at Appendix Gallery, Columbus, OH. Selected group exhibitions include "Plain Sight", 2016, at the Richmond Center for Visual Art, Western Michigan University, curated by Tom McGlynn and Sorry Archive; "Formulations", 2016, curated by Owen Houhoulis at Sculpture Space NYC; "And the Villagers Never Liked You Anyway", Knockdown Center, Queens, NY, 2014, curated by Vanessa Thill; "This Dust", 2014, GSL Projekt, Berlin; and "I second that emotion" at TAON, Paris, 2012, curated by Jo-ey Tang. Her 2013 solo show, "Such Stuff", was shown at Tiger Strikes Asteroid New York.
She is a graduate of the ITP program at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and the London School of Economics. As she a former member of the TSA artist collective, she co-curated "An Argument for Difference" with Shama Khanna and "World is New" with Andrew Prayzner, 2015. In 2016, Ho was awarded a writing scholarship to attend Can Serrat Residency in El Bruc, Barcelona. Her writing has appeared in Rhizome and Artforum, among others.
http://taiyinho.com

Emi Otaguro was born in 1980 in Fukuoka, Japan. Lives and works in Aichi. She received Japanese Government Oversea Research Program Grant, Agency for Cultural Affairs and will live and work in Berlin, Germany, from March, 2019.
Recently, Otaguro received the grand prize of the Allotment Travel Award 2016 and she presented her work in "spot" at KAYOKOYUKI, Tokyo, 2017, "THE ECHOl" at Takasaki City Gallery, Gunma, 2016, "project N 55" at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery, 2014, "TRICK-DIMENSION, curated by Daisuke Ohba" at tolot: heuristic SHINONOME, Toko, 2013, "YON-SHIKI, curated by O JUN" at youkobo artspace, Tokyo, 2010, "Mr FREEDOM X, curated by Tadasuke Iwanaga" at A+, Tokyo, 2009, WORM HOLE episode3" atmagical, ARTROOM, Tokyo, 2006. And she also received the grand prize of Art Award Tokyo Marunouchi 2008.