MES Solo Exhibition "REI／RE-I" (PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO) Opening Report: Reading Shibuya through "Zero," "Spirit," and "Rave"
MES's solo exhibition "REI／RE-I" opens at Shibuya PARCO, exploring Shibuya's history and urban memory through light and heat.Summary
At PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO in Shibuya, Tokyo, the solo exhibition "REI／RE-I" by the artist duo MES—formed by Ken Arai and Kanami Tanigawa—runs from October 24 to November 16. MES, which moves between contemporary art and club culture, reexamines the past and present of Shibuya's layered history through video installations and performances.
Formed at Tokyo University of the Arts in 2015, MES creates installations and performances using light, heat, and the body in Japan and abroad while also working as laser VJs in the club scene. A solo show at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles is planned for February 2027. In the "LASER LIGHTING" series (2018–2021), triggered by the crackdown on the club Aoyama Hachi following the revised entertainment law, MES brought laser lighting outside the building to project messages onto urban space.
The exhibition features "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (2026), which asks who can ring Shibuya's "Bell of Peace" and for whom, using a monument donated by Turkey that cannot be reached from the ground; "Thermal Imprint: Giving Away My Heat" (2026), which uses a thermographic camera to give the body's heat to the changing city; and "Haunt W.Heights" (2026), which evokes memories of the postwar occupation-era Washington Heights housing complex, now Yoyogi Park. Also shown are "DISC-O-URS 2" (2026), using a rotating motor, lasers, and phosphorescent paint; the video "CEASEFIRE" (2023); and "DA-I (Back)" (2024), based on a 35-hour performance held in 2024.
(Source：美術手帖)