Borrowed Scenery looks at the work and biography of artist Noriyuki Haraguchi, focusing on Matter and Mind, a sculpture that he was invited to install at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art in 1977, as part of the museum’s permanent collection. Consisting of a rectangular steel pool filled with used motor oil, the work was exhibited the same year at Documenta 6.
As the title of the work suggests, Matter and Mind challenges the perception of the viewer based on its material properties. Heavier than water, the thick black oil used in the work is reflective, and presents a mirror-like surface. Since it was installed, forty years ago, the work has become a memorable feature of the TMoCA, sparking the curiosity of abounding visitors, many of them testing its permanency while throwing coins and other near-at-hand objects. Serving as a wishing well, the highly resilient pool becomes the center of an encounter between Shirin Sabahi and the Japanese artist.
Shirin Sabahi works with and around moving images. Her projects often derive from a physical place and include films and various spin-offs about artifacts and architecture and their legibility and outreach. Recent exhibitions and screenings include Broad Art Museum (Michigan 2020); Savvy Contemporary (Berlin 2020); Longue Road Projects (Oslo 2019, solo); Centro Botin (Santander 2019); Art Jameel Center (Dubai 2019); The Mosaic Rooms (London 2019); Edith-Russ-Haus (Oldenburg 2018, solo); and Beirut Art Center (2018). She lives in Berlin where she hosts PLACES—a series of events where speakers are invited to present a place, existing or otherwise. She is taking part in the 2020 Berlin Program for Artists
Shirin Sabahi, Borrowed Scenery, 2017, 15 min, HD video, colour, stereo sound, Japanese with English subtitles
Shirin Sabahi, Borrowed Scenery, 2017, 15 min, HD video, colour, stereo sound, Japanese with English subtitles
Shirin Sabahi, Borrowed Scenery, 2017, 15 min, HD video, colour, stereo sound, Japanese with English subtitles
Shirin Sabahi, Borrowed Scenery, 2017, 15 min, HD video, colour, stereo sound, Japanese with English subtitles
Shirin Sabahi, Borrowed Scenery, 2017, 15 min, HD video, colour, stereo sound, Japanese with English subtitles