Silent concert, 2024, metal, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
review

Between bloodlines, relationships, and territorial boundaries. Chiharu Shiota at Kunsthalle Praha.

Chiharu Shiota regards her exhibition as an introspective journey that delves into the complexities of the human condition, a path filled with profound, unresolved questions; while her art explores the connections between personal history and collective memory, the material and immaterial worlds, and nature and the universe. 

Chiharu Shiota, In the exhibition The Unsettled Soul. Courtesy of the Kunsthalle Praha.

Kunsthalle Praha is shaking up the art world with exhibitions that push boundaries, spark conversation, and forge powerful connections between artists, audiences, and cultures. With an unapologetic focus on linking the past to the present and connecting Prague to the global stage, the institution boldly presents two major exhibitions every year, each one offering a fresh, daring look at contemporary art. At least once a year, they claim 900 square meters to showcase a solo exhibition by a major artist whose work commands attention on both local and international levels. Since its launch in 2022, Kunsthalle Praha has already made waves with exhibitions by provocative artists like Gregor Hildebrandt and Elmgreen & Dragset. This time, it doesn’t miss either with Shiota’s first solo exhibition in the Czech Republic. The Unsettled Soul is open till April 28th.

Installation view from The Biography Box section, Kunsthalle Praha.
Installation view from The Biography Box section, Kunsthalle Praha.
Becoming painting (1994) C-print, photos taken at a performance of the same name (The Australian National University School of Art, Canberra, Australia). Courtesy of the artist.
Becoming painting (1994) C-print, photos taken at a performance of the same name (The Australian National University School of Art, Canberra, Australia). Courtesy of the artist.
Multiple realities, 2024, mixed media, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
Multiple realities, 2024, mixed media, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.

Chiharu Shiota (b. 1972), a renowned Japanese artist from Osaka, gained widespread recognition in 2015 when she represented Japan at the 56th Venice Biennale. However, in 2008, she was already awarded the Art Encouragement Prize by the Japanese Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology. Her work has been exhibited globally at prestigious institutions such as the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles (2023), Zentrum für Kunst und Medien in Karlsruhe (ZKM) (2021), Mori Art Museum in Tokyo (2019), and Gropius Bau in Berlin (2019). And she has also been involved in major international exhibitions like the Aichi Triennale (2022) and the 20th Biennale of Sydney (2016). It is also vital to mention how Shiota’s distinctive visual language is influenced by the legacy of radical female artists. After moving to Germany in 1996, she studied under Rebecca Horn and Marina Abramović, both known for their explorations of vulnerability and bodily boundaries. Shiota feels a deep spiritual connection with Cuban artist Ana Mendieta, whose work she immediately understood upon first encountering it, and she has long admired the sculptures of Magdalena Abakanowicz. 

The key in the Hand (2014) C-print, Courtesy of the artist _ State of Being (2023) bronze, brass wire, Courtesy of Kunsthalle Praha.
The key in the Hand (2014) C-print, Courtesy of the artist _ State of Being (2023) bronze, brass wire, Courtesy of Kunsthalle Praha.

The Prague exhibition is Shiota’s first solo show in the Czech Republic. The Unsettled Soul has been in the works for over two years, and when Shiota visited Prague for the first time, she was captivated by the Vltava River, which she views as a symbol of the connection that links Prague with Europe and the world. She sees the Vltava as a passage that connects people, objects, and cultures across time and space, which has directly influenced the exhibition. As such, her work often employs threads as symbols of connections – between bloodlines, relationships, and territorial boundaries. The curator of the exhibition, Christelle Havranek, describes the central theme of Shiota’s work exactly as connections, highlighting how the artist not only perceives connections in the world around her but also makes them visible in a powerful and poetic way. Shiota’s art explores the connections between personal history and collective memory, the material and immaterial worlds, and nature and the universe. She creates large-scale installations using everyday objects and describes her process as “drawing in space” to manifest presence in the absence. 

Shiota’s art explores the connections between personal history and collective memory, the material and immaterial worlds, and nature and the universe.

Multiple realities, 2024, mixed media, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
Multiple realities, 2024, mixed media, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.

The exhibition at Kunsthalle Praha features four site-specific installations.

In Multiple Realities (2024) the artist explores the dress, a recurring motif in Chiharu Shiota’s work since the late 1990s, which symbolises a “second skin”, marking the boundary between the internal and external worlds. Emerging after her performances, it serves as a poignant reminder of her own body and identity. Shiota’s experiences of leaving her homeland and encountering diverse cultures led her to reflect on the permanence of cultural heritage and identity, which she likens to the skin—inescapable and unchangeable. In this installation, five rotating dresses and objects hanging from the ceiling, moving as though alive, inhaling and exhaling in the dimly lit space. The darkness amplifies the work’s dramatic tone, with the dresses symbolising traces of human existence. They encapsulate Shiota’s central theme – the physical presence of absence, a profound exploration of identity and memory. 

Silent concert, 2024, metal, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
Silent concert, 2024, metal, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
Silent concert, 2024, metal, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
Silent concert, 2024, metal, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
Silent concert, 2024, metal, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
Silent concert, 2024, metal, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.

The powerful installation Silent Concert (2024) is anchored by a charred piano that evokes profound themes of memory and loss. This work draws inspiration from a formative childhood experience when Shiota witnessed the devastation of a neighbour’s home consumed by flames. Among the wreckage, the sight of a piano reduced to ashes left an indelible mark on the artist, becoming a symbol of destruction and the silence that follows. Through this installation, Shiota captures the haunting absence of sound, transforming the burnt piano into an emblem of lost potential and unspoken stories. The work resonates with her enduring fascination with absence—not merely as emptiness, but as a space where memory lingers and meaning endures. The silent instrument, robbed of its ability to create music, becomes a poignant reminder of the fragility of both objects and experiences. Silent Concert thus invites viewers to reflect on the way loss shapes our understanding of the world, allowing what is no longer present to speak in its own quiet, powerful way.

The heart in your home, 2024, metal house, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
The heart in your home, 2024, metal house, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.

In The Heart in Your Home (2024) an installation made of metal frames and wool strings, Shiota’s use of the house as a “third skin” highlights the intersection between the personal and the universal. Just as clothing (a second skin) connects the individual to their immediate environment, architecture represents a deeper connection, linking the individual to collective notions of safety, belonging, and identity. Her installations evoke a sense of fragility and strength, as the delicate threads both bind and divide, underscoring the complexities of human relationships. When asked how she handles the complexity of the threads, she replied poetically, “It’s like a drawing. I make a drawing in the air. I continue weaving, weaving from top to bottom”. When asked if she had a plan beforehand or if she created it from imagination, she replied that she has a rough plan, but not really a mathematical one. Home is a notion that she has been exploring from the beginning of her practice, and also this feeling of in-betweenness, of not belonging to any place is significant in her practice as well as a personal exploration of her own identity as she pointed out – “I have been for 20 years in Germany, but when I go back to Japan, I miss Berlin and when I am staying in Berlin, I miss Japan, so I’m always in between”. 

The heart in your home, 2024, metal house, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha_(1)
The heart in your home, 2024, metal house, wool, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.

The choice of red threads to “fill” these house shapes is particularly evocative. Red becomes a visceral symbol of life and connection, intertwining themes of family, nationality, and culture. The web-like constructions simultaneously suggest protection and entanglement, revealing how relationships and identities can be nurturing yet confining. Shiota’s exploration of absence—longing for what is not present—creates a universal resonance. Her works transcend personal experience, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationships with home, identity, and connection. 

Finally, in addition to showcasing recent installations, the exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of Chiharu Shiota’s artistic journey since the 1990s. This is presented through a curated selection of works, films, archival materials, and a chronology, all housed on the second floor in what curator Christelle Havraneck has referred to as “The Biography Box”. This section not only highlights Shiota’s early works from the 1990s but also delves into the development of the visual language that has become synonymous with her art. The films, archives, and career timeline allow visitors to trace the evolution of her distinctive artistic vision. 

Earth and Blood (2013) C-print, stills from a video recording of a performance of the same name, Courtesy of the artist.

This section is particularly significant for understanding the foundations of Shiota’s work, which is deeply shaped by the trauma she has experienced. Her earlier works are framed as responses to a series of crises, marking pivotal moments in her life. These events have led Shiota to explore her body and personal struggles in her art, often depicting herself in vulnerable or distressing situations. This exploration of trauma and vulnerability remains central to her artistic practice and continues to resonate throughout her work, providing valuable insight into the emotional and psychological forces that drive her creative process. 

Red becomes a visceral symbol of life and connection, intertwining themes of family, nationality, and culture. The web-like constructions simultaneously suggest protection and entanglement, revealing how relationships and identities can be nurturing yet confining.

One work that resonates with the themes of identity and crisis is Bathroom (1999), which she created in Berlin. In this short video, she sits naked in a dimly lit bathroom and pours dark liquids over herself in a ritualistic manner. This piece may prompt viewers to reflect on their memories, personal spaces, and existential dread. It is part of Shiota’s broader exploration of identity, presence, absence, and internal struggles. Another crisis occurred when she was in Germany in 2013, where she was studying at the time, uncertain of where she would stay. She said it is still very painful for her to see this performance. “After six months, I had a miscarriage, and three months later, my father passed away”.

Try and Go Home (1997) C-print, photos taken at a performance of the same name after four days of fasting (Domaine de Kerguehennec, Bignan, France). Courtesy the artist .
Try and Go Home (1997) C-print, photos taken at a performance of the same name after four days of fasting (Domaine de Kerguehennec, Bignan, France). Courtesy the artist.

Chiharu Shiota regards her solo exhibition as an introspective journey that explores the complexities of the human condition, a path filled with profound, unresolved questions. These questions touch on the essence of existence – What does it mean to be human? Where are we headed? What does the concept of “should” truly signify? Shiota believes that there is power in collectively contemplating these questions, inviting viewers to engage deeply with the existential themes she addresses in her work. Her exhibition encourages the audience to reflect not only on their individual experiences but also on the shared human journey that connects us all. 

Curator Christelle Havraneck and artist Chiharu Shiota In the exhibition The Unsettled Soul
Curator Christelle Havraneck and artist Chiharu Shiota In the exhibition The Unsettled Soul

This major exhibition at Kunsthalle Praha, featuring a wide array of Shiota’s installations and works, is also complemented by a series of lectures, workshops, and special events designed to further explore the exhibition’s themes. These events will provide additional layers of context, allowing visitors to engage with Shiota’s ideas from different angles, deepening their understanding of the artistic and philosophical questions at the heart of the show. Furthermore, the exhibition is documented in an extensive catalogue, Chiharu Shiota: The Unsettled Soul, edited by Christelle Havranek, offering a thorough record of the exhibition, alongside insightful essays that examine Shiota’s artistic evolution and her thematic concerns. Both the catalogue and the exhibition serve then as a valuable resource for those seeking to understand Shiota’s unique vision and an important contribution to the broader conversation on contemporary art and the human experience. 

What does it mean to be human? Where are we headed? What does the concept of “should” truly signify? Shiota believes that there is power in collectively contemplating these questions, inviting viewers to engage deeply with the existential themes she addresses in her work.

Multiple realities, 2024, mixed media, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.
Multiple realities, 2024, mixed media, installation shot from Kunsthalle Praha.

About The Author

Alex
Mirutziu

Artist whose practice deals with the process of how we create meaning to interpret the world around us. Inspired by philosophy, literature, and design, he explores the inadequate use of objects, language, and the body as tools of communication.

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