From September 28 to November 28, Japan House São Paulo presents "Equilíbrio” (Balance), an unprecedented installation with more than 9,000 balloons made by the Japanese duo DAISY BALLOON, known for their works with great visual impact that have delighted people all around the world. For the first time in Latin America, Rie Hosokai, an artist specializing in balloons, and Takashi Kawada, an art director and graphic designer, were inspired by the cycles of nature to c-reate the work that will change over the weeks, marking the inevitability of the passage of time.
Known for creating projects in different formats, ranging from shop windows, fashion editorials, dresses, and potted plants to advertising pieces, the duo also stands out for occupying spaces with large artistic installations, such as the one that can be seen at JHSP. Their works are notable for the use of self-made balloons, which add great novelty to the productions. Coming in at 11 meters in length and more than three meters in height, the work is site-specific, was designed exclusively for the exhibition area on the ground floor of Japan House São Paulo, and features balloons made together with Yokohama Balloon Co. Ltd. The balloons are covered with an outer layer of polarized film, and when light shines on the installation, a spectrum of immanent colors reflects in the exhibition space, an effect similar to that of the aurora borealis. The organic format of the work also draws attention and contrasts with synthetic materials.
“The shape of the installation is suggestive of the course of the water cycle, as if the balloons were droplets of water and clouds rising in the air to turn into rain and fall back to the ground”, explains Japan House São Paulo Cultural Director and exhibition curator Natasha Barzaghi Geenen.
The installation has an admirable visual impact and offers visitors a unique immersive experience, as they will be allowed to walk through it following a defined route.
“The audience will be able to witness the passage of time throughout the exhibition in a different way, as the trend is for the balloons to wither and change the installation in a subtle manner every day. The work condenses many typical Japanese concepts and ways of thinking, values balance and harmony, poetically symbolizes the passage of time, reinforces the importance of and fascination with the inexorable rules of nature, while, by using balloons that defy its ephemeral essence, also addresses a constant duality that permeates us”, highlights curator Natasha.

Curator｜Natasha Barzaghi Geenen, Assistant Curator｜Gabriela Goelzer Bacelar, Planning and Production｜Melissa Barbosa e Adriana Rodrigues, Logistics｜Tiago Souza, TS Logistica, Construction Coordinator｜Rafael Filipi, Projeta、Assistant Construction Coordinator｜Renato Bonfim, Final Construction Tuning｜Renato Santos, Louis Alamino, Elias Joaquim, Ludmila Figueiredo, Ricardo Soares, Lighting Engineer｜Fernanda Carvalho, Luana Alves、Emilia Ramos, Lighting｜Santa Luz, Expography｜Jeanine Menezes, Estúdio Gru, Lia Untem, Estúdio Gru, Scenography｜Artos, Visual Communication｜Thiago Minoru e Tissa Kimoto, Pandoala Estudio, Printing｜Omamulti, Translation｜Anna Ligia Pozzetti, Komorebi, Cristina Sagara, Sagara Assessoria Linguística e Eduardo Lasota, Alcance Consultoria de Idiomas, Text Editor｜Armando Olivetti, Official Film｜Tomada Produção Audiovisual, Official Photography｜Marina Melchers, Accessibility Consultant｜Arte Inclusão, Accessibility Table｜Iguale, Ver com Palavras, Efeito Visual, Tissa Kimoto, Pandoala Estudio e Arthur Souza, ArtSim, Accessibility Platform｜UMPARATODOS, Visual Image｜Satoshi Minakawa, Special Thanks｜yokohama balloon

Solo exhibition Capsule was held at LUFTMUSEUM in Germany.
Exhibit details: Room 103 | Title | Capsule (two photographs) / Room 104 | Title | Astral (8 photographs) / Room 105 | Title | Astral Movie (2 films) / Room 106 | Title | Singularity (1 photograph, 1 withered piece), Furumai (2 photographs), Black Hole (1 photograph), Worm Hole (1 photograph, 1 withered piece), White Hole (1 photograph), Capsule (1 installation)

The theme of this exhibition is that in modern life, we face the problem of not having problems. Today, especially in developed countries, many of us live in contentment—we are guaranteed freedom, equality and human rights. For artists who create, we are burdened with the reality that we rarely experience hardship; in other words, we have the problem of having no problems. This theme is saturated all around us and there seems to be no escape, but if we quiet our breath and contemplate, we see that loneliness appears in the form of an isolated individual. This loneliness, along with tribulation and sadness was once sublimated through the empathy that is rooted in large communities, but we are at risk of losing this sense of community, as individualism has become so valued in our modern world. While there has been much to gain from having to live as individuals, at the same time, loneliness has become mandatory. Have we lost the ability empathize with others and consider them an extension of ourselves in the community? There was only one origin, but like the big bang that expanded the universe, are we destined to scatter away like particles toward even further independence?
Ancient culture and sense of community are still preserved in Kyoto, and it may be one of the few cities that successfully employs the dynamics of a mobile. Mobile refers to a structure in which individual parts are connected in a balanced state, and similarly, Kyoto is made up of individuals who stay connected to form a larger community. This structure is still preserved to this day perhaps because Kyoto promotes the strength of the individual, and so the individuals gives back to the community in return. We hope this exhibition will inspire you to remember the existence of community and to think proactively about what you can do.

Daisy Balloon exhibited solo at Hong Kong’s greatest shopping mall, Harbour City.
It coincided with the creation of the advertisement and promotional video for VITA, the newly developed beauty zone featuring cosmetic brands.