Japanese artist Aki Sasamoto presents her first mid-career survey, 'Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory,' at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT). The exhibition traces two decades of her unique practice combining absurd sculptural devices—such as haemorrhoid cushions and oversized fishing lures—with improvised performances that blend humorous spoken narratives, physical actions, and mark-making. The show features installations, documentation, and live performances, with each room exploring a different relationship between performance and object or video.
The survey matters because it offers a rare opportunity to examine Sasamoto’s interdisciplinary approach, which merges dance, sculpture, and storytelling into a cohesive 'life laboratory.' By focusing on how to present, preserve, and document performance, the exhibition addresses key questions in contemporary art about the intersection of live action and material objects. Sasamoto’s work challenges traditional boundaries between art forms and highlights the role of improvisation and personal experience in creating meaning.