iimawashi: Contemporary Art from Japan

Merz Gallery

Edinburgh International Festival Fringe 2005

Artists Name: Manya Kato Title: Minus One Material: Japanese abacus Size: 7cm x 25cm x 1.5cm 2004

Manya Kato is interested in the systems of this world. His work intervenes with these systems in a way that can either frustrate or amuse.   His works can be seen as a metaphor for the mental condition he perceives in Japan. Works such as a keyboard with limited keys or an abacus with one digit missing reflect the potential limitations within which we function. There is a danger of being trapped in a system that limits and perhaps even contains fundamental flaws, ultimately forcing us to make repeated errors.