◆ Notice Regarding the Exhibited Works

We would like to inform you about the works in the exhibition currently on view, Aeneas Wilder: "Until the End of Time".

An earthquake centered in northern Osaka occurred on June 18.
A few of the upper layers of the main 7m tall, cylindrical work in this exhibition, "Untitled #201" have fallen off, but the work has been preserved in almost its original shape. This work, along with the few wood sticks that have fallen, can be viewed as they are, and will continue to be exhibited until the closing day, June 23 (Sat).

Because of the earthquake, however, there may be a higher risk of collapse for this work. For your safety, please do not enter the exhibition space, and only view the work from the entrance of the exhibition space. We appreciate your kind understanding.

Also, as we have previously announced, one of the works, “Untitled #202” which was to be kicked down, has collapsed on June 16 due to unforeseen circumstances, so we have cancelled the kick-down event scheduled on the closing day. We will still have the work on view in its current state after its collapse.
For your safety, this work can be viewed only from behind the glass in the courtyard. We ask for your cooperation.

We express our deepest apologies to anyone who had plans to see these works, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

Both works have always been inherently impermanent, and the current circumstances can be viewed as reflecting this symbolic aspect of Aeneas Wilder’s works, which repeat the cycle of coming in and out of existence.

Please pardon our current situation, and we would like to ask for your kind understanding.

ARTCOURT Gallery
(June 19)
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ARTCOURT Gallery is pleased to present Until the End of Time, a solo exhibition of works by Aeneas Wilder.

Born in 1967 in Edinburgh, Aeneas Wilder has been producing and exhibiting work since the late 1990s. He continues to expand his vibrant international career with sculptural installations, acclaimed around the world, that are born out of his unique perspective on gravity, time and space.

Over many hours and without using fixings or adhesives, Wilder meticulously stacks thousands of wooden sticks, cut into uniform size and held in place only by the natural forces of balance, gravity, and friction. Using minimal elements and within set parameters, he continues to explore a creative world of possibilities, through which he has developed his body of work that spans over two decades.

For his first solo exhibition at ARTCOURT Gallery in 10 years, Wilder will create and exhibit the work Untitled #201, a nearly 7 meter tall cylindrical tower that will lean approximately 10 degrees, and Untitled #202, an installation that spans the space horizontally using 100-year-old eucalyptus wood, which will together try to draw attention to the concept of the passage of time.

Wilder’s works, which often reference architectural structures and stand 4 to 5 meters high, possess an inherent impermanence that contradicts their monumental appearances. The majority of his works have the potential to instantly collapse into chaos, and are sometimes taken down with a kick from the artist causing it to topple on itself in a domino effect. Their fleeting existences can end in moments, which contrasts with the significant amount of time that he devotes to each work, from preparing the cut wood to tirelessly constructing the installation. Each piece of wood seems to represent moments of time that have gradually accumulated to become just one of the countless possible shapes.

“...We are all existing only moment by moment, and each successive moment is layered upon the other until the moments, together,
represent a lifetime. The length, volume and content of that lifetime have no guarantees and vary enormously. Indeed, the variation and
potential within the system is endless.” ––– Aeneas Wilder

Wilder gives his time to a cyclical way of art making, in which destruction is always followed by regeneration. Through this cycle of making temporary phenomena, the artist seeks to create just some of the infinite possibilities within his own finite lifetime. For him, this way of working is a kind of “open-ended system” that can be seen as a reflection of the cycle of life. These remarkable works by Wilder will encourage the viewers to also recognize the unlimited potential dwelling in one’s limited time, and to join him in a reflection on the transience of existence.