We are pleased to present a solo exhibition by Yoichi Ochiai, a media artist and researcher active both in Japan and abroad.
Beginning with his “Digital Nature” in 2015, and following the success of the philosophical concept “Tetralemma of Null” proposed in his solo exhibition at the Kusakabe Folk Crafts Museum in Hida Takayama (2025), and the signature pavilion “null²” at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, this exhibition transcends binary oppositions such as myth and geology, ancient and future, material and digital, and East and West, and aims to present a more layered worldview at Kirishima Open-Air Museum in Kagoshima Prefecture, a site of volcanic activity, the land of the Jomon people, and “Tenson Korin” (the descent of the grandson of the sun gods). This solo exhibition connects the past, present, and future through his decade-long work, exploring new relationships between humans and technology, material and information, and nature and artificial things.
Special Exhibition
Yoichi Ochiai | Heard the Divine Kid’s Heading Home?
【Exhibition Highlights】
《A Summary of 10 Years of Activity》
This exhibition, spanning the first 10 years of the artist’s career from the concept “Digital Nature” proposed in 2015 to the present, is designed to offer a comprehensive experience of the artist’s past and present as visitors wander through the exhibition room (art hall), including his important chronicles.
《Unique Exhibition Space》
The surrounding area of the museum is known for the sacred site of the “Tenson Korin” (the descent of the grandson of the sun gods), the active volcanic Kirishima Mountains, and the Jomon culture represented by the approximately 10,600-year-old Uenohara ruins. Incorporating elements of traditional crafts and the daguerreotype, an important medium in the history of photography, the exhibition will create a humorous space comprised of exhibits and photographs related to the Banquet of the Gods.
《Regional Collaboration and Creativity》
Large-scale art and technology exhibitions in regional areas have the potential to enhance the value of local areas as cultural resources and tourist hubs, and to demonstrate new models for the contemporary reinterpretation and preservation of tradition. This
exhibition will be a valuable opportunity to experience cutting-edge art and technology in the region, contributing to the development of the next generation of creative talent and the formation of the region’s identity.
［Organizer］ Kagoshima Prefectural Foundation of Culture Promotion / Minami-Nippon Shimbun /Minaminihon Broadcasting Company Co., Ltd. / Kagoshima Television Station Co., Ltd.
［Special Sponsors］ TOYOTA COROLLA KAGOSHIMA / kubosekiyu Co. / TAIYO-GAS co.ltd.
［Special Cooperation］ Seibidou Corporation / KARIMOKU FURNITURE INC. / YAMATO TRANSPORT CO., LTD.
［Sponsors］ MEIKO TECHNOS CO., LTD. / Hamadasyuzou
［Cooperation］ Yūsui Township / Kirishima-sanroku Yūsui Town Tourism Association / Kagoshima Daiichi Koutsu Co., Ltd.・Daiichi Koutsu Co., Ltd. / SHIMADZU LIMITED / THE KAGOSHIMA BANK, LTD. / Minami-Kyushu FamilyMart Co., Ltd. / Yusui Machiokoshi Energy Co., Ltd.
［Production Cooperation］ Hioki City / Kirishima Jingu / Craft x Tech Tohoku Project (Tangent) / Koriyama Hachiman Shrine / NPO ACT.JT (Chairperson: Man Nomura) / Ryutaro Takahashi Collection / SANSUI-SHA / Juhachibankan / SUNAKI Inc. / Tokukoken / Kirishima Kumen Daiko Historic Preservation Society. / TAKAFUMI SAIGO, Hioki Shimadzu Family / Caretaker of the Former Site of Kippuzan Daijoji Temple / Gallery & Restaurant Butaiura / Nisshin Ikuseikai
［Planning and Coordination］ Ayako Oki (jiseCHI co. ltd)
［Guest Curator］ Tomoe Moriyama (Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo)
［Images］
Farewell, Homo sapiens: The Greatest Move Since History Began（2026）
The Singularity Heads Home, Conviviality Holds the Feast: Commensality of Gods and Humans, a Farewell Banquet for the Tenson（2026）
The Divine Kid’s Homecoming Gate (Torii for Cat-Mushroom-Nomads)（2026）
The Object-Oriented Bodhisattva（2023）
