specter

Hunsand Space (Hangzhou) is delighted to present the first solo exhibition in China by Japanese artist Taka Kono. The exhibition's title originates from a wall-spray piece the artist created in 2021 at the darkZone space in New Jersey, USA: "俊雄 was here." "俊雄"（Toshio）refers to a character from the famous Japanese horror film "Ju-on," and Taka explores his fascination with ghosts and spirits, essentially providing a romantic response to the feeling of powerlessness in reality. When it comes to horror, people often avoid discussing it in broad daylight. We gravitate toward brightness, warmth, softness, and pleasure, pursuing the eternal continuity of life within the constant self-indulgence of comfort. The high development of technology has led to complacency, ignoring past tribulations, forgetting that comfort is only a narrow path and a transient state illuminated by human-centric perspectives. Viruses and wars serve as reminders; in the mysterious world, darkness, coldness, conflicts, fear, and the profound uncertainty are the vast and normal constants for humanity. From the "Hyakki Yagyō" in yokai paintings to gods and demons in Noh plays, from various vengeful spirits in movies to the dance of the future depicted by Mirai Moriyama in the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics, Japanese art has continuously explored and contemplated the soul and terror. Taka's recent works have been exploring the intersection of horror and intimacy. In his words, the existence of ghosts is a romantic affair. The interwoven background in his discourse reveals the loneliness of humans and the absolute unity of the world known under the radiant light of scientific rationality. Taka's construction of horror demands facing it, facing everything unknown beyond experience. When the unknown invades our intimate spaces, direct sensory stimuli compel us to confront reality, to return to and engage in that conversation often avoided, recognizing the fluidity of human existence and the frequently occurring state of unrest.