VI
EN
The exhibition “Jamais vu/Déjà vu/Traveling” by Japanese artist Kuwakubo Ryota, taking place from March 22nd to May 24th, 2026 at the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam (27 Quang Trung Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi), offers a fresh perspective on familiar images from everyday life.
When familiar things become strange
The exhibition features two new works by Kuwakubo Ryota, created specifically for Hanoi based on the artist's prior field research in the city. Organized by the Japan Foundation, the event is open to the public free of charge, with visiting hours from 9 am to 6 pm daily.
Without using cameras or archival materials, the artist recreates urban landscapes through the light and shadows of everyday objects. Objects such as household appliances and simple mechanical structures, when illuminated, create images that evoke streets, rooftops, or streams of vehicles.
The exhibition space uses light and familiar objects to create the effect of moving shadows.
The exhibition space attracted a large number of viewers of all ages.
The event received attention from art lovers.
An artwork that uses wooden beams and moving light sources, creating a sense of steady rhythm.
This approach stems from the concepts of “jamais vu” (the feeling of unfamiliarity with something familiar) and “déjà vu” (the feeling of having experienced something before), placing the viewer in a state of perception that is at odds with memory and the present.
Light passing through the mechanical structure creates layers of shadows that change continuously.
The installations are constructed from simple materials, evoking familiar images from everyday life.
A typical installation utilizes a system of moving lights combined with wooden slats, creating the sensation of observing the city from a state of continuous motion. The work references Alexander Calder's "Small Sphere and Heavy Sphere," but is interpreted through a minimalist and highly evocative visual language.
Kuwakubo Ryota, an artist and professor at the Institute of Advanced Media Science and Arts (IMAS), has been pursuing the practice of “device art” since the late 1990s, combining electronic devices and simple mechanisms to create highly interactive visual experiences.
Since his work “The Tenth Sentiment” (2010), he has focused on light and shadow installations, where images are not predetermined but rather open, allowing viewers to create their own interpretations. His projects have been featured at numerous international art events such as the Nam June Paik Award and the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial.
Young people discover a "different Hanoi" through their experience with light.
The exhibition space attracts a large number of young people and those who love multimedia art. The experience doesn't focus on "understanding" but encourages viewers to make their own associations.
Viewers spent considerable time pausing to observe the changes in each installation.
Nguyen Minh Anh, a student in Hanoi, said: “I recognized very familiar images like power lines or rooftops, but they appeared in a completely different way. It felt like I was looking at Hanoi through a jumbled layer of memory.”
According to Minh Anh, moving slowly in the light helps her observe the changing shadows more clearly: "Sometimes I'm not sure what I'm seeing, but it feels familiar. It makes me think more about the things I pass by every day."
Blurring the lines between reality and virtuality.
The exhibition raises questions about how humans perceive their environment. Are the things we see every day truly observed carefully, or are they simply recurring images out of habit?
Through "device art"—a form of art combining art with simple technical mechanisms—artists force viewers to return to their primal forms. Disparate details do not immediately form a complete image. Viewers play a connecting role, forming their own memories and associations during the observation process.
The exhibition offers a fresh perspective on familiar images from everyday life.
The work encourages viewers to make their own associations and form their own interpretations.
With its minimalist yet experiential approach, the exhibition offered a different perspective on Hanoi. Instead of familiar images, it was evoked through light, movement, and the viewer's personal associations.
