traversing

mayumi nakazaki en miku sato

20 oktober 2024 - 2 november 2024

On October 20, Bradwolff Projects opens the duo exhibition “Traversing” by Mayumi Nakazaki and Miku Sato in Amsterdam East. In this collaboration, the two Japanese artists explore the impact of war on memory and identity, both in the past and the present. The opening is from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

The exhibition features two video installations. Mayumi Nakazaki’s “Mapping” connects three women from different parts of the world in conversations about war, home, and identity. The walls are decorated with world maps made of masking tape. Miku Sato’s “Book and Fire” shows three women and a robot preparing a Ukrainian dish together, based on a recipe from a Soviet-era cookbook. The space is further furnished with ceramics, old cookbooks, and a robotic hand, contributing to a participatory and contemplative atmosphere. Visitors are invited to move and reflect on the echoes of wars in the present day.

Nakazaki and Sato share a clear vision: reinterpreting war stories within their historical contexts. Japan, as the only country to have suffered nuclear attacks, holds a unique position. The Japanese Constitution, with Article 9 rejecting war as a sovereign right, is currently under pressure in the current geopolitical climate. The artists approach the ongoing reality of war from this cultural perspective. They explore new possibilities for coexistence between people, nature, and technology.

Mayumi Nakazaki and Miku Sato are multimedia artists who explore the connection between memory, space, and storytelling. Nakazaki graduated from the Gerrit Rietveld Academy and the Rijksakademie, and focuses on the relationship between memory and imagination. Sato obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Painting from Musashino Art University and her Master’s degree in Film and New Media from the Tokyo University of the Arts. Since 2019, she has been working in Amsterdam as a fellow of the Japanese Government Overseas Study Program for Artists, focusing on field research and collaboration with local communities.

Together, Nakazaki and Sato challenge conventional narrative methods and invite the audience to delve into the complex layers of history and human experience.

image: film still Mayumi Nakazaki