We had predicted that there may be some resistance to Tomoko Takahashi’s exhibition here at the DLWP but it does not appear to have materialized. We underestimated the receptiveness of our audience. After the intial shock of encountering what looks like a pile of rubbish in Gallery 1 people are really appreciating the meticulous nature of the installation. There’s an element of nostalgia in the work as well – almost everyone recognizes an object that they have owned or known at some point in their lives and this gives them a way into understanding Tomoko’s approach. The objects contained within the ‘Clockwork’ installation are from the domestic world but perhaps the ‘hidden’ domestic world of sheds and undersink cupboards. I think that because these objects have been forgotten they are imbued with a life of their own. Tomoko loves this and communicates this enjoyment to us all through her art.

Oh – and we’ve had 20,000 visitors so far!

Posted by Ryan Coleman on Thursday 22 July 2010