ATSUSHI SAGA

Upon entering the exhibition space, an intense red colour sets the tone—a vibrant hue that is both universal and emotionally charged. Red has historically held a unique meaning throughout history and culture, embodying opposing dimensions such as life and death, dynamism and tranquility, sacredness and the mundane. Saga’s glossy, lacquer-like red colour in Sync is made by the artist’s distinct blending of four different reds that he chose after years of experimentation, and by polishing layers upon layers of colour. The fine overlapping colour fields delicately reflect light while providing a sense of depth, conjuring a nonverbal record of time, and history of movement.

Close observation of the depth of field within the coloured surfaces reveals graceful curves painted in slightly varied reds and different shapes faintly visible on adjacent surfaces. This articulation of the Lissajous curve—a geometric shape formed when two wavelengths interact and harmonise with one another—is often used to visualise invisible phenomena like sound. The background of the curve underlies a “shippō” or cloisonne pattern in slightly different shades. This pattern of repeated interlocking circles symbolises eternity in traditional Japanese decorative art, establishing a peaceful harmony on the surface while accentuating the motion of the transforming curves.

A large work exhibited prominently in the exhibition, 25 Syncs, consists of twenty-five panels systematically titled from Sync/001 to Sync/025. Each measuring 60.6 cm square and 5 cm deep, they are positioned in a total symmetry vertically and horizontally. Without a beginning or end to the score, the individual colour surfaces retain subtle differences, yet the entire work remains in harmony. Each surface has its own distinct curve, indicating the presence of twenty-five different sounds. This ethereal, red landscape reads as an imagined chord as viewers approach or withdrawal from the colour plane. Through the complex interplay of multiple elements, rather than a linear phenomenon—such as a mirror-like-reflecting light, the work reminds visitors that the act of seeing itself is a multi-layered event that evokes memories and experiences.

Sync, the title of each panel, means synchronisations of different elements. Although the term is now commonly employed in the technological content, it initially referred to the synchronisation of sound and images. The exhibition title, Synchronicity, is derived from a psychological concept that aims to portray the supernatural phenomenon of coincidence, in which no casual relationship can be recognised.

The coupling of these titles, both suggesting temporal aspects, directs our attention to the enigmatic phenomenon of synchronisation of elements that compose a harmonious space. Through ‘seeing_’,_ this exhibition awakens the depth of sensory experience beyond visual perception, which is often overlooked in todays visually-oriented society, calling into question the complexity and multilayered nature of ‘the visible’. Saga’s new works silently hint that the unknown, which science cannot fully explain, continues to expand before our eyes.