Gestaltzerfall by Kina Minoura

About

On the opening night (August 31th)  delicious sushi will be served for free by one of the best sushi chefs in Berlin!
You will also be able to combine authentic Japanese food with amazing Friulian Prosecco and Ribolla Gialla among other wines from Cantina Principi Di Porcia!

Artist statement

Gestaltzerfall (German for “shape decomposition”) refers to a type of visual agnosia and is a psychological phenomenon where delays in recognition are observed when a complex shape is stared at for a while as the shape seems to decompose into its constituting parts.

It’s been eight months since I came to Berlin.
These eight months are enough for me to know that I took something for granted in Japan as I accept a new sense of values in a foreign city. Stereotypical views have been broken as new concepts are appearing in front of me.

You can experience the phenomenon of Gestaltzerfall by keeping your eyes on or writing the same character over and over. In Berlin, I believe that I have experienced Gestaltzerfall at the cultural level.

While the Hiragana alphabet is an essential part of Japan’s culture, Gestalzerfall has the power to inspire a Japanese viewer to unknow it for an instant. In this way, I am curious to find ways for a German viewer also to experience this unknowing.

Here, I explore how Gestaltzerfal can synchronize us. I attempt to reveal that we are so close to equals, no matter where we call home. I cannot be any happier than if the viewer will realize this unknowing for just a moment.

Kina Minoura