‘Into the Light of Memory’ examines life, death and human connection through thread, glass, video and drawing

Heredium in Daejeon is presenting Japanese installation artist Chiharu Shiota’s solo exhibition “Into the Light of Memory” through Feb. 21, 2027.

The exhibition examines recurring subjects in Shiota’s work, including life and death, memory and disappearance, and the relationships formed through meetings and separation. Its centrepiece is a large-scale installation made from hundreds of thousands of interwoven threads.

The installation is being shown publicly for the first time. By extending across the exhibition space, the work turns individual strands into a structure that visitors can encounter physically rather than observe solely as a fixed object.

Additional works include video, sculptures combining thread and glass, and drawings. Together, they show how Shiota develops similar questions across different media, moving between tangible materials and experiences that cannot be directly seen, such as memory, absence and emotional connection.

Born in Osaka in 1972 and based in Berlin, Shiota is known for immersive installations constructed with red or black thread and objects associated with personal history. She represented Japan at the 2015 Venice Biennale with “The Key in the Hand,” an installation incorporating thousands of keys collected from the public.

The exhibition is installed within Heredium, a cultural venue housed in the former Daejeon branch of the Oriental Development Company. Built in 1922 during the Japanese colonial period, the building was restored and reopened as an exhibition and classical-music venue in 2022.

Heredium is located at 735 Daejeon-ro in Dong District. Regular viewing hours are from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with final admission at 6:30 p.m. The venue normally closes on Mondays and Tuesdays but will remain open without a break during the designated holiday period.

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