Miyu Hosoi
”STAIN”


November 7 (Thu) - December 22 (Sun), 2024

Gallery 38 is pleased to present Tokyo-based sound artist Miyu Hosoi’s first solo exhibition titled STAIN, an immersive installation of multiple sound pieces Hosoi. Born in 1993, Hosoi’s work explores sound’s potential in transforming one’s perception of space and time. In this exhibition, Hosoi gathers 16 works showing various expressions of sound ranging from kinetic sculptures, video, ambient sound installation, while allowing distractions and street noise to ‘contaminate’ the exhibition.

Hosoi’s works explore multiple temporal illusions. Each sound piece in the exhibition cannot be experienced without hearing others, while the exhibition cannot be detached from the bustling noise of the street. A wide range of field recordings from the catastrophic to the mundane are constantly present in her work. Such recordings include a walk around Fukushima’s power plant, a typhoon in the city, conversations with friends, children playing, Hosoi’s daily commute, all of which are used as source material in various works. Removing hierarchies between her recordings and outside noise is a situation important to Hosoi. To her, noise is not “unwanted sound” but rather an important type of information. Hosoi believes this noise brings the viewer to the present, creating an atmosphere of multiple temporalities through a mixture of sounds. To Hosoi, this atmosphere is a type of information that only sound can elicit. In this “noise canceling” society, Hosoi believes that we must rethink our biases with sound.

The work "STAIN," which lends its name to this exhibition, serves as a record of a dialog between the artist and “someone/something”, encapsulating their relationship. The sounds within this work are imbued with a deep ambiguity and rawness; they transcend mere recorded signals to become intensely personal narratives, rich in emotional resonance that can evoke memories in the audience. Within the exhibition space, speakers and displays are positioned at a 90-degree angle, suggesting the perspective of an observer from the future.

Since 2022, Hosoi has embarked on the creation of object-based works. Tools and bells make these assemblages, evoking a kind of tension and precarity that reflect Hosoi’s sentiments on her role as an artist today. To her, the absence of sound does not equal the absence of energy. Silence is encapsulated in these sculptures, and in some ways can emit a more potent resonance.

"As a sound artist, I rarely perceive my works as mere 'objects.' Instead, I view the process as an exercise in distilling thought. Consequently, even when a work is collected, I do not feel a sense of physical separation. The archive resembles a collaborative relationship, as the work seems to proliferate beyond my controls, much like a performance. Each piece, in essence, is a culmination of deepening the concepts of installation."

Exhibition Detail: 

Miyu Hosoi
”STAIN”

 November 7 (Thu) - December 22 (Sun), 2024

Hours: 12:00-19:00
Closed on: Mon, Tue, National Holidays
The artist will be at the gallery on: November 7 (Thu), 16:00 - 19:00
(Due to the type of works, there will be no opening event.)

During ART WEEK TOKYO, we will be open at the following times: Date: November 7 (Thu) - 10 (Sun), 2024
Open: 10:00-19:00

On Tuesday, November 19, we will hold an artist tour with sign language interpretation, as well as an artist tour specifically designed for those who are visually impaired or have low vision . If you wish to participate, please contact the gallery for further details.

Subject to change without notice. Please check the our SNS for the latest information.


Place: Gallery 38
2-30-28 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo JAPAN
tel: +81 (0)3-6721-1505
email: contact@gallery-38.com