Chiharu shiota between worlds
Between Worlds with Chiharu Shiota at Istanbul Modern
Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota's exhibition “Between Worlds” opened at Istanbul Modern on September 6, 2024
As part of the Centenary of the Establishment of Japan-Türkiye Diplomatic Relations, the exhibition, which includes a large-scale installation by Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota created exclusively for Istanbul Modern, has been co-organized with the Japan Foundation, in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan and the Consulate-General of Japan in Istanbul, as well as the support of Arnica.
“Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds,” curated by Istanbul Modern Chief Curator Öykü Özsoy Sağnak and Assistant Curator Yazın Öztürk, explores themes such as memory, existence, migration, journey, and human experience, which the artist frequently uses in various forms of expression including performance, video, installation, and painting.
Shiota's large-scale installation “Between Worlds,” which also gives the exhibition its title, draws on the location of Istanbul at the crossroads of Asia and Europe. The installation by Chiharu Shiota, who represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 2015, will be on display at Istanbul Modern
The Istanbul Modern is currently hosting a transformative exhibition titled Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds, on view through January 25th, 2026. Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota—internationally acclaimed for her large-scale, immersive installations—presents one of her most emotionally resonant projects to date. Conceived in celebration of 100 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, this project investigates themes of memory, migration, and the fragile boundaries between identities.
At the heart of Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds is a mesmerizing installation in which hundreds of red threads crisscross the gallery space, suspending weathered suitcases in a dense, dreamlike web. These suitcases—each a metaphor for a life in transit—hold silent witness to personal histories, departures, arrivals, and the longing that lives in between. The red thread, a recurring symbol in Chiharu Shiota’s work, suggests human connection across generations and geographies.
The Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds exhibition takes inspiration from Istanbul’s unique position between continents, especially Karaköy’s historic harbor. In one room, Shiota evokes the rhythm of migratio
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Chiharu Shiota‘s solo exhibition Between Worlds, organized on Istanbul Modern’s invitation as part of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, centers on the artist’s sense of being “somewhere in between.”
Chiharu Shiota’s solo exhibition “Between Worlds,” organized on Istanbul Modern’s invitation as part of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, centers on the artist’s sense of being “somewhere in between.” In shaping the exhibition’s conceptual framework, Shiota draws on Istanbul’s location between Asia and Europe. She is also inspired by Istanbul Modern’s location in Karaköy, one of the city’s busiest districts and residence to its historic, centuries-old harbor. The artist weaves a connection between the ships docking and departing from the harbor, the passengers traveling on these ships, their stories, and her have migration story.
In her installation at Istanbul Modern, the artist wraps the entire gallery with web-like red threads and places the suitcases inside this intricate mass, emphasizing the th
Tangled in Red: Chiharu Shiota’s Labyrinth of Memory in “Between Worlds”
ISTANBUL MODERN
Chiharu Shiota’s installation “Between Worlds,” wraps the entire gallery with web-like red threads and places the suitcases inside this intricate mass, emphasizing the theme of “presence in the absence.” Red, the color most frequently used by the artist, represents the flow of blood and life coursing through veins, metaphorically connecting people, emotions, and memories. Each suitcase represents an individual from the artist’s perspective. Tied together with red threads, these suitcases create a visual narrative that makes the viewer question both personal and collective themes such as home, belonging, and identity. In this manner, Shiota weaves concepts of time, space, movement, and memory into her installations, and invites the viewers to engage both physically and emotionally to complete their experience. Beyond the objects they carry, suitcases also serve as conveyors of symbols, carrying emotions and memories, bridging the past and the future.
Between Worlds centres on the artist’s sense of being “somewhere in between.” In the Istanbul context, th
Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds
Chiharu Shiota's solo exhibition “Between Worlds,” organized on Istanbul Modern’s invitation as part of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Türkiye, centers on the artist's sense of being “somewhere in between.” In shaping the exhibition’s conceptual framework, Shiota draws on Istanbul's location between Asia and Europe. She is also inspired by Istanbul Modern's location in Karaköy, one of the city’s busiest districts and home to its historic, centuries-old harbor. The artist weaves a connection between the ships docking and departing from the harbor, the passengers traveling on these ships, their stories, and her own migration story.
In her installation at Istanbul Modern, the artist wraps the entire gallery with web-like red threads and places the suitcases inside this intricate mass, emphasizing the theme of “presence in the absence.” Red, the color most frequently used by the artist, represents the flow of blood and life coursing through veins, metaphorically connecting people, emotions, and memories. Each suitcase represents an individual from the artist’s perspective. Tied together with red