Brilliant Ideas Episode #5:
Mariko Mori

In her works, Mariko Mori brings an uncanny combination of unique Japanese traditional elements and cutting-edge technology. Her works present popular culture in the 21st century while symbolically portraying religious and philosophical aspects of the East’s inner universe. Shaman Girl’s Prayer (Miko no Inori) and Last Departure from her series of cyborg-themed works from 1996 feature the artist herself in a guise that resembles a character out of a futuristic cartoon. Mori borrowed elements from cosplay(a Japanese portmanteau of the words “costume play”), a type of performance and popular culture in Japan, to morph into the protagonist of a science-fiction show replete with outrageous outfit and makeup. For the pieces in which she appears, Mori configured the images into multiple layers, giving it an illusion of movement, and then printed and added music to create a music video. Mori literally became a part of her artwork and completed it.

Mori’s latest works hold a different form and significance to her earlier sculptures. Her more recent works and simple monolithic sculptures are a stark divorce from her earlier dazzling video productions. Tom Na H-iu is the artist’s work that best embodies her use of the latest technology to reach her interests, space, technology and minimalism. It is a monolith made from opalescent glass with softly pulsing LEDs within, a mysterious spectacle that somehow feels futuristic. The LEDs are linked to a computer in Tokyo’s Kamioka Observatory, and every time the observatory detects a particle from a star going supernova, the pillar’s lights change colors. Technology allows viewers to perceive changes in the universe through these shifting colors with an opalescent glow. The birth of the universe, the origins of life and more are the fundamental and scientific ideas that Mori explores.
Mori usually uses 3D printing in her work, following a process of manifesting and materializing her ideas virtually on a computer, then giving it physical form through printing. Once printed into physical form, the sculptures are dyed to the color and texture of how she envisions each final product, and then put on exhibition. Her 3D printing-based works are displayed not only in art galleries and museums, but also in public spaces like Times Square or in the lush undergrowth of a park, blending in naturally with the urban and the natural environments. The smooth-flowing lines and organic form of her works closely resemble elements of nature.

Mariko Mori was born in Tokyo in 1967. She is an artist who comes from an academic background of both fashion design and fine arts. Her early works were primarily concerned with the material world of Japan, along with its popular culture. Her more recent works are a juxtaposition of Eastern philosophy with Western culture. Appearing in person within her works, Mori has become widely recognized as a fantasy of new, imaginative spaces. From video-installations to photography and performance, her works utilize multimedia technology to present meticulously structured works. Presented images intersect the past, present, and future, seizing the viewer’s gaze and capturing it within the virtual world the artist has created.
Splitting time between New York and Tokyo, Mori broke into the international exhibition scene at the 1997 Istanbul Biennale. She was invited to present at many reputable exhibitions including the 25th Bienal de São Paulo in 2002, the 47th and 51th Venice Biennale in 1997 and 2005 respectively, and the Singapore Biennale in 2006. Mori has also presented at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Serpentine Galleries in London, and Centre Pompidou in Paris. Recognized by numerous international awards including the prestigious Menzioni d’Onore (Honorary Mentions) at the 47th Venice Biennale in 1997, Mori’s works are works are included in the collection of many prominent institutions, including the Guggenheim Museum and MoMA.