Shunsuke François Nanjo – The Algorithm of Dreams
Solo exhibition of Shunsuke Francois Nanjo currently being held at Tomio Koyama Gallery Tennozu. You can see a glimpse of the sensibility of this artist who grew up while going back and forth between Europe and Asia.
Shunsuke François Nanjo’s practice encompasses a diverse range of mediums, and introduced on this occasion are a selection of his latest paintings as well as sculptures and video works:
“I believe that my work is ultimately about “people.” Throughout the times, “people” have always used art as a vehicle in conveying their dreams, hopes, fears and sorrows. The medium of art is a tool for observing the chaos that is reality, and serves to highlight certain perspectives and ways of understanding the world. Although the message of art changes across generations, national borders, and cultures, its terminus ad quem is nonetheless “people.”
Furthermore, I believe that all manner of things from design, to architecture, literature, science, and politics revolve around “people” to give rise to various currents that in turn constitute history. My intention is to use art to stem the tides of this surging maelstrom, if only slightly, to create an opportunity for “people” to momentarily pause in contemplation.”
“Escape of Saint Exupery”
This work is based on the legend of Saint-Exupery, the author of the Little Prince, who disappeared on July 31, 1944. The whereabouts of Saint-Exupery have become various urban legends, one of which is the theory that he found his dream destination. Inspired by that theory, Nanjo drew a plane of Saint-Exupery who fled to the land he admired.
“Chercher le Commandeur”
Born in Japan, he was educated in France and now lives in Belgium. Shunsuke François Nanjo will move his base of activities to Vietnam from August 2022. He is also inspired by Haruki Murakami’s work. In this work, the hero digs a strange hole in the woods. It was a hole leading to another dimension.
Nanjo realized that the hole is a device for going back and forth between the world of reality and the world of dreams, and it is said that he has the same function as art and literature in himself. Everyone has a dream of going back and forth between reality and fantasy. The device is hidden in this work.
“The Flying Stones”
In Laputa, the castle in the sky, there is an object called a levistone that can fly in the sky. There are many mysteries about stones and minerals, and they are sometimes criticized. Shunsuke François Nanjo dares to artificially form stones into colorful objects that appear in paintings. It has a meaning as a “mineral that ticks the time” that changes color depending on the season.
“The Infinite Landscape”
Shunsuke François Nanjo, who is also active as a photographer. He also produced digital art in which a fictitious landscape changes over time. At first glance, it looks real, but the landscape created by real time continues to change. This represents the anguish of people trying to bring digital media closer to reality. You can enjoy the fictional world Nanjo creates.
【About L’Algorithme des rêves＝The Algorithm of Dreams】
“The series of works introduced in this exhibition are inspired by various narratives found in literature, philosophy, history, film, the internet, and video games. In the worlds depicted by Haruki Murakami, David Lynch, Zhuang Zhou, or the games of Kojima Productions, there is always some kind of anomaly, void, or entrance to another dimension that comes to manifest in the form of a certain rift.
Such interspaces perhaps harbor meanings that draw connections to what Foucault refers to as Heterotopia, or the concept of TAZ (Temporary Autonomous Zone) articulated by Hakim Bey. What is more, they serve as gateways to another world like the metaverse. The works reflect my interests regarding the nature of the narratives that occur in the realms between, and the influences I gained from them.”
【Artist Profile】
Shunsuke François Nanjo was born in Tokyo in 1981. He received a Master’s Degree in Fine Art from the University Toulouse le Mirail, France in 2005. Working between Europe and Asia, he has held solo exhibitions in various locations across the globe including Tokyo, Paris, Beijing, Milan, and New York.
Nanjo has also participated in international exhibitions including, iBiennale MMXIX (2019), KENPOKU ART (Ibaraki, Japan, 2016), and e-art festival (Tunis, 2016). He engages with various media that span both analog and digital to produce an eclectic array of two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, while bringing focus to the concept of Utopia as a core inspiration for his practice. Nanjo is also a member of COMPOSITE Collective.
Shunsuke François Nanjo “The Algorithm of Dreams”
TOMIO KOYAMA GALLERY TENNOZ
June 4 – June 25, 2022 11am-6pm
CLOSED: Sun, Mon, National Holidays
Terrada Art Complex Ⅰ 4F, 1-33-10, Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 140-0002
*The artist will be present from 2pm on June 4.
【Artist website】
http://www.shunsukefrancois-nanjo.com
【Tomio Koyama Gallery】
http://tomiokoyamagallery.com/
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