BE PART OF A COLLECTIVE ART WORK BY CHIHARU SHIOTA FOR THE CURITIBA INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL

In a new site-specific installation, The Space Between Us, Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota invites the public to participate directly in the work by submitting a letter, understood by the artist as a self-portrait of each participant’s personal universe. Curated by Tereza de Arruda, the exhibition will be presented at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) as part of the 16th Curitiba International Biennial – THRESHOLDS, from June 14th through November 15th, 2026.

“As each of us carries a universe within us, it is rarely visible to others. Our body, our clothing, and our homes create layers that both reveal and conceal who we are. Because of these layers, it is almost impossible to truly know another person’s thoughts or feelings. Art, however, can open a space where we express what usually remains hidden; and through this project, I would like to collect self-expressions and bring them together as a collective reflection of the unseen inner worlds that surround us”, said Chiharu Shiota.

The proposal invites participants to transform their own experiences into a letter, in different formats such as text, collage, or other manual forms of expression. Each submission becomes part of a large-scale collective installation created especially for the Biennial, bringing together individual narratives in a work that makes visible experiences that usually remain hidden. By bringing together intimate stories from unknown individuals, the work creates a space where the personal acquires a collective dimension. Anyone interested in sharing a part of themselves is invited to participate and contribute to this evolving artwork. Submissions must be sent by May 20th; further information is available on their website.

Born in Osaka, Japan, and based in Berlin, Germany, Chiharu Shiota is one of the most influential artists in contemporary art today. Known for her large-scale immersive installations, she has developed a distinctive language based on the entanglement of threads enveloping everyday objects, creating environments of strong visual and symbolic impact. Her work explores memory, absence, the body, and human relationships, establishing itself as one of the most consistent and recognizable practices in the global art scene.

Her international recognition was consolidated when she represented Japan at the 56th Venice Biennale in 2015, a milestone that positioned her among the leading artists of her generation. Since then, she has exhibited at major institutions such as Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, Gropius Bau in Berlin, Grand Palais in Paris, Power Station of Art in Shanghai, and K21 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Düsseldorf, in addition to participating in numerous biennials and major international exhibitions.