INTENSITY – Takahiro Matsuo in POLA MUSEUM ANNEX

Takahiro Matsuo’s exhibition “INTENSITY” is being held at Pola Museum Annex. Takahiro Matsuo is an artist who creates light installation art and design work that fuses “light”, “space”, “people”, and “interaction” with his unique sensibility and technology. His work is inspired by the phenomena and laws of nature, which are transformed and beautifully expressed through technology.

What happened on a sunny day, memories of a rainy day…etc. We have countless experiences during our lives, and the images of light we feel at each time are stored at the bottom of our memories, along with the expressions and behaviors that nature shows. When you step into the installation space of this “INTENSITY”, you will be inspired by his work, and those memories will appear at once in yourself. Whether you find it comforting or stimulating, it’s probably up to you. That kind of interaction is the most enjoyable aspect of this exhibition.

Phenomenon & FLARE: Flickering, shining, light energy of different intensities

The word “INTENSITY” in the exhibition title refers to the intensity of light, sound, heat, color, etc., and in general, sometimes describes the intensity of human behavior and emotions. The installation, which unfolds in three different corners, allows visitors to enjoy the energy of light at different intensities.

The first work, “Phenomenon”, is a video installation that visualizes air currents, flames, and other fluids as “phenomenal beauty”. Based on the actual laws of physics, millions of particles of light change their shape every moment in a zero-gravity 3D screen, drifting while flowing, and disappearing. It feels like a soft INTENSITY, like a flickering vibration.

You can feel the intense energy the moment you walk through the dark curtain and into the next FLARE space. FLARE is a lighting object with dazzling light and transparent prismatic polyhedra like the sun and stars’ fixed stars and crystals. You are caught in the sensation of being bathed in the rays of light emitted throughout your body.

SPECTRA: Light and water installation with the world’s first technology

The final piece in the exhibition, SPECTRA, installation of water and light, is Matsuo’s latest work. Special LED light with a sun’s angle of radiation, created by a world-first technology, penetrates and reflects off realistic water, emitting a dazzling glow like a meteor flash.

A cluster of lights appears as if falling from a pitch-black space, vanishingly quiet, but the energy of their brilliance is sure to resonate in the visitor’s mind. The sound of the falling water feels good in your ears, too.

Gazing at the swarm of light that appears in a constant cycle, as if life is born, blazing and then vanishing, arouses all sorts of emotions within us as we live in the natural order of things. The work allows us to experience these emotions as they eventually turn into positive energy within ourselves.

Matsuo’s works color not only exhibitions but also cities and commercial spaces.

Takahiro Matsuo’s works are characterized by his unique creations that cross over from analog to digital, such as programming and systems, as well as video and lighting. He specializes in emotional spatial installations that appeal to the bodies and senses of visitors. He has worked extensively on public art for urban and commercial spaces, international exhibitions, and art and design for luxury brands.

It has been nine years since his first exhibition at the Paula Museum Annex, “LIGHT EMOTION” in 2011. We invite you to experience this creative work of art.