Wabi Sabi Shima, from the aesthetic of perfection and chaos in the japanese archipelago

The exhibition Wabi Sabi Shima gathers a selection of artists from the contemporary Japanese art scene with a group of European artists influenced by the Land of the Rising Sun. More than 60 works will be presented, several of which have never before been exhibited in Europe. A ripe terrain for fascination and artistic interrogation, Japanese culture never ceases to intrigue in its particularity. Wabi Sabi is the embodiment of Japanese beauty, and a concept that illustrates key notions in Japanese aesthetics: Wabi represents the notion of refinement through simplicity, while Sabi explores the concept of weathering over time. The exhibition Wabi Sabi Shima offers a journey into the heart of a culture that celebrates the perfection of imperfection, nature, and simplicity without eschewing politics, collective memory, terrestrial violence. Programmed to coincide with the contemporary art fair Art Brussels, Wabi Sabi Shima follows Found in Translation (2013) - an exploration of the Belgian art scene - and Textile Languages (2014) on the Indian art scene. Each exhibition reflects Thalie Art Foundation’s mission to promote cross-cultural exchanges.

Participating artists: Ryoko Aoki, Yukari Araki, Renaud-Auguste Dormeuil, Nicolas Floc'h, Pierre-Jean Giloux, Marie-Ange Guilleminot, Camille Henrot, Mitsuhiro Ikeda, Zon Ito, Takuro Kuwata, José Levy,  Shunsuke François Nanjo, painters of the Shijō School, Yoshiro Suda, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Risaku Suzuki, Yosuke Takeda, Takeo Tanabe Shochiku III, Philippe Terrier-Hermann, Satoru Toma, Maarten Vanden Eynde, Eric Van Hove, Michael Whittle, Miwa Yanagi, Tomotaka Yasui, Yamabe Yasushi, Akiyama Yo, Tomoko Yoneda, Ayako Yoshimura.

Maarten Vanden Eynde, Genetologic Research N°18: 2004 A.D, Tajimi, Japan, 2004
Carbon, cloth, ceramics (35 x 35 x 20 cm)

Maarten Vanden Eynde, Genetologic Research n°17, 2004
Bird’s nest, porcelain, wooden box (16 x 20 x 16 cm)