There have been too much information going around in our surroundings, each to build up various relationships among those factors. The grand opening exhibition played a role to look ahead to the future development of MAT, Nagoya by visualizing such energies unseen. This text attempts to see the significance of the exhibition held to commemorate the grand opening of MAT, Nagoya, rather than focusing on actual works exhibited there.

As the title “The Beginnings” implies, the exhibition indicates the beginning of the space as well as the management team. “Open-Ended” that follows the main title sounds as if it is their resolution stating to remain an ever-lasting / changing / moving place.

In the first part, Ofuna Flower Center by Mohri and The way Things Go by Fischli / Weiss were exhibited in the space side by side. Both works utilize ordinary items you find anywhere, under the theme of “movement” to present invisible energies. Although Ofuna Flower Center is apparently under the influence of The Way Things Go, it is different in terms of having “no pre-established harmony” in it. Mohri has intentionally been presenting uncertain factors to viewers such as errors, blurriness or fluctuations to generate an ambiguous state and to access viewers’ imagination.

The new work by Mohri showed at the second part was such an experimental attempt focusing on printed images unlike her earlier installations. The exhibition space was roughly divided with movable walls and 7 images placed on the walls stir viewers’ imagination with blurred and queer subjects printed. The scanners behind the walls in full operation as if it is a factory, keep scanning images of ordinary items that seem familiar in Mohri’s works. The images orderly placed on the wall are just one part of massive images being produced behind the walls.

Mohri visited the port town frequently for 6 months to do research for the new work. Although the exhibition doesn’t show the outcome of the process itself, the whole procedure Mohri undertook to work on the piece and find supporters could be replaced with community development. As Mohri admitted to herself, the work hasn’t been completed yet. Community development also needs certain time to achieve results, and it needs to be “Open-Ended” until you see what will become of seeds you sow a few years and decades later. What changes would we see in Mohri’s works in the future? It would be trilling to see her works exhibited again in a few years here in the port town. Perhaps both the port town and MAT, Nagoya would be in the next phase by then. A place that enables to generate something new attract people, means and information to make it happen. The exhibition made me realize that MAT, Nagoya at Minatomachi PUTLUCK BUILDING will surely play the role.