Pierre Huyghe's World: An Immersive Visual and Auditory Journey

On the 7th floor of the Louis Vuitton Omotesando building in Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, ESPACE LOUIS VUITTON TOKYO is currently hosting the exhibition 'Pierre Huyghe – Untilled Host'. This exhibitionFondation Louis Vuittonis part of the 'Hors-les-murs' (Beyond the Walls) project, curated by the Fondation Louis Vuitton. The 'Hors-les-murs' project realizes an international initiative by showcasing the Fondation's previously private collection at Espace Louis Vuitton locations in Munich, Venice, Beijing, and Tokyo.

This exhibition features two works from the Fondation's collection: 'The Host and the Cloud' (2009-2010) and 'A Way in Untilled' (2012) by Pierre Huyghe.




Since the early 1990s, Pierre Huyghe has continuously devised new methods of creation and exhibition. His work explores the boundaries between reality and fiction, utilizing diverse media such as 'live' situations, film, objects, photographs, and drawings. Huyghe's practice is characterized by its engagement with a broad spectrum of cultural themes, ranging from popular culture to academic disciplines, including science, science fiction, literature, philosophy, archaeology, cinema, music, architecture, and the relationship between work and play. These approaches often manifest through collaborations with other artists, musicians, architects, and scientists.

'The Host and the Cloud' (2009-2010) was filmed over a year in a building in Paris formerly used as the National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions. This is an experimental work documenting actual events within a closed amusement park. The 'experiment' unfolds live before the audience, with partial recordings of three specific days: Halloween, Valentine's Day, and May Day. 'The Host and the Cloud' is a narrative, a journey through the mind of an absent host. The fictional characters appearing in this film are presented as 'alter egos,' suggesting a reality that exists within the absent host's mental landscape.




'A Way in Untilled' (2012) was filmed in the summer of 2012 in Karlsaue Park (Kassel, Germany), the venue for 'dOCUMENTA(13)'. Filmed at dusk, the video depicts the decomposition of organic matter around a sculpture titled 'Untilled,' a reclining nude whose head is formed by a swarm of bees. The head is obscured by the bee colony, which pollinates plants with aphrodisiac and psychoactive properties. The headless body lies in the mud, creating a striking image as if a parallel world is emerging before the camera.

There is no narration; the protagonist is a dog with fluorescent legs. The space is enclosed, and elements from various historical periods are juxtaposed without any indication of origin or chronological order. It is a physical arrangement of fictional or real records and existing objects. Within the 'compost' of Karlsaue Park, artificial objects, inanimate matter, organisms, plants, animals, humans, and bacteria are cultivated and nurtured, abandoned without regard for the viewer's presence or interest.

Through these quasi-documentary, science-fiction-like videos, Pierre Huyghe invites viewers on an unavoidable visual and auditory journey. The 'Pierre Huyghe – Untilled Host' exhibition runs until January 9, 2017 (Monday, holiday). Admission is free, so please visit and immerse yourself in the world of Pierre Huyghe.

PIERRE HUYGHE - UNTILLED HOST
Exhibition Period | June 25 (Sat) - January 9, 2017 (Mon, holiday)
Venue | ESPACE LOUIS VUITTON TOKYO
5-7-5 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001, 7F Louis Vuitton Omotesando Building
Opening Hours | 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Closed | In accordance with the Omotesando store's schedule
Admission | Free
www.espacelouisvuittontokyo.com