Commissioned by Yasumasa Morimura for his edition of Yokohama Triennale 2014, “ART Fahrenheit 451: Sailing into the　Sea of Oblivion,” Retinamnesia Filtration Shed expands the Scrapbook format to architectural scale. The Japanese title,　Momakuya 網膜屋, is a made-up word that means “Retina Trader” or, more idiomatically, the “Retina Man.” Incorporating　scores of found family photographs, neon lights, a boat hull, trailer wheels, and other objects, the sculptural environment is　conceived as the workspace of a fictional character whose job it is to process the memories of different people, places, and　times. Its domestic touches such as tatami mats and old lamps recall the once-and-future destiny of home industry: familyrun　businesses such as tofu makers, cleaners, and repair shops are gradually being replaced by corporate chains, but the rise　of the internet and social media points to a coming era of atomized remote labor. According to Ohtake, Retinamnesia　Filtration Shed is about forgetting and the reproduction of memory. An absent presence, the Retina Man is a figure of the　processes by which we constantly duplicate our memories in order to access them and use them creatively, and his　workspace is factory for memory reproduction. Along with MON CHERI: A Self-Portrait as a Scrapped Shed, made for　document 13 in 2012, Retinamesia Filtration Shed is among a group of works that establish metaphoric parallels between architectural structures and embodied experiences.

2014

Yokohama Triennale 2014: Art Fahrenheit 451, Sailing into the sea of oblivion,
Shinko Pier Exhibition Hall, Yokohama, Japan