American Minimalism is about geometry and the object’s relationship to the viewer’s body. It is mathematical. Japanese "Ma" is about the interval . It is the silence between two claps. The empty space inside a bamboo joint. Minimalism says: Look at this thing. Ma says: Look at what is not there. In my 2021 piece, Wind Score , I hung 1,000 sheets of rice paper from the ceiling. No glue. No weights. The artwork was not the paper. The artwork was the moment the door opened, the air shifted, and the papers breathed. That breath—that interval—is Ma.
Yes. In 2026, I will open a space in the Noto Peninsula. It will have no walls. No opening hours. No curator. It is just a field with a single wooden chair. Visitors will get GPS coordinates. They will walk. When they arrive, they will sit. The chair faces a wall that does not exist—a view of the sea. That is the exhibition. rie tachikawa interview full
No. I am a questioner . A story gives answers. I give clues to a mystery that doesn't exist. Part 2: The Full Philosophy of "Ma" I: Western critics often frame your work through the lens of "Minimalism"—Judd, Flavin. But you reject that. Why? American Minimalism is about geometry and the object’s
Because a photograph of my work is the death of my work. My pieces change with the humidity, the time of day, the number of people in the room. A digital file is fixed. It is a corpse. I want my art to be a rumor. You hear about it from a friend. You walk three kilometers to a warehouse. You sign a waiver. You enter a room alone. That journey—the search —is part of the piece. It is the silence between two claps
That’s a hard line for a journalist.
(Laughs) I know. I am sorry. Write it all down. But tell your readers: After you read this, close the laptop. Go sit in a room alone for ten minutes. Listen to the building sigh. That is my real interview. Part 5: Future Work & The "Un-Museum" I: What is next? Your website (which is just a black page with an email address) hints at a project called The Un-Museum .