Yokohama Art Triennale opens to take us “on a journey through time and space”

The Yokohama Art Triennale opened its doors to visitors this month, featuring work from international artists, both established and emerging. Fortunately for those not currently situated in Japan, the exhibition features a selection of fantastic online elements – allowing the opportunity for spectators the world over to engage without the need for travel, which is, of course, heavily restricted at this time.

Held at the NYK Maritime Museum, the current incarnation is the seventh edition of the Triennale, which has taken place every three years since its inception in 2001. This year's event is led by New Delhi-based Raqs Media Collective, who promise to “take the artists and co-travellers on a journey through time and space” via their carefully curated event. The title of the exhibition, Afterglow, references how “we unknowingly experience the residues of light sparked at the beginning of our time,” and how residual "cosmic microwaves" from the Big Bang continue to exist in the atmosphere today. Referring to the initial blast of destructive energy that resulted in the creation of the universe and life as we know it, the exhibition is rooted in examining the relationship between destruction and toxicity, and recovery and care. The collective aim to inspire debate about how we as a species can “co-exist with toxicity for human sustenance and survival in this world in flux.”

Some highlights include Chicago-based artist Nick Cave's spectacularly colourful 'Kinetic Spinner Forest', Max De Esteban's striking photography series 'Twenty Red Lights', and Beijing artist Chen Zhe's 'Towards Evenings: Six Chapters' sub-chapter investigating visual and linguistic representations of dusk. Perhaps one of the most breath-taking of the installations comes from Spanish artist Eva Fàbregas, whose memorable piece resembles a giant sculpture of human intestines, aiming to highlight “the realm of the somatic and the sensorial experience."

With international travel verging on impossible right now, the web-based component of the Triennale is a most welcome inclusion. Viewers will be able to watch talks by the artists and curators, and a selection of the artwork displayed will be accessible via the event's YouTube channel.

The Yokohama Art Triennale is open now until October 11 at the NYK Maritime Museum. You can view the website and buy tickets here