Born and raised in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, Hirai Koki (b.1996) has in recent years focused on the history and present-day realities of the two neighboring cities of Hiroshima and Kure, creating works that combine rotoscoped animation, three-dimensional models, and text in booklet form.
Hirai comments: “There are times when the history of a city and personal memories feel so similar that I’m tempted to say they are mirror images of each other. I’ve long reflected on the acts of remembering and forgetting in my work, but recently it has struck me that this is not unrelated to the fact that I was born and raised in Hiroshima. I don’t think this has always been the case; rather, I believe it’s only by learning about the history of Hiroshima and Kure that these two have come to appear so similar to me. As I learn about the various questions surrounding Hiroshima and reflect on them in my own way, the question ‘How do I want to remember Hiroshima and Kure?’ always comes to mind.”
This exhibition presents new work created based on Hirai’s interest in the idea that narrating or depicting the city’s history and personal memories in tandem could serve as a form of self-care. Please experience the sensation of time and space becoming entangled as you move back and forth between the “City of Peace” and the “Military Port City,” between the city’s history and personal memories, between memory and oblivion, and between video, three-dimensional work, and booklet. I would be delighted if you eventually come to resonate with Hirai’s words: “I am trying to imagine Hiroshima (Kure) as a city that is, even if only slightly, porous and breathable.”
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Tangled Scenery: Hirai Koki
Exhibition Period｜October 24, Sat, 2026 — January 24, Sun, 2027
Opening Hours｜10:00–17:00
Closed｜Mondays (except November 23 and January 11) November 24, December 27— January 1 and January 12
Venue｜Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Museum Studio
Admission｜Free
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///Concurrent exhibition///
Collection Exhibition 2026-Ⅱ
October 10, Sat, 2026—January 24, Sun, 2027
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Senzaki Chieo: Toward the Depths of the Gaze
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Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava in Japan 2026-27
November 14, Sat, 2026—January 24, Sun, 2027
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Birding in Art
January 9, Sat—April 11, Sun, 2027
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