top of page

Exhibition

Hiroshi Mehata’s The Color Cleanser: A Contemporary Co-Creative Space Woven with Color and Sound

— Centered on the 2023 Indonesia Solo Exhibition "The Color Cleanser - collaboration project with Indonesian curator Octalyna Puspa Wardany"

Hiroshi Mehata’s The Color Cleanser transcends the notion of a mere exhibition.

It is a vibrant tapestry of experience that wholly embraces the modern audience’s engagement with art—seeing, capturing, creating, and sharing—extending infinitely through color and sound. First unveiled at his 2023 solo exhibition in Jogjakarta Indonesia, this work intertwines colorful, chaotic abstract paintings, interactive sound transformations via an app, a 3D virtual space, and the voice-delay device Moon Echo to craft a complex yet profoundly human arena of communication. Here, Mehata breathes warmth into the coldness of the digital age, transforming spectators into co-creators.  

-The Chaos of Color and Reconfiguration in the Social Media Era

At the exhibition’s core lies sprawling abstract paintings, a whirlwind of vivid, chaotic colors. Centered on fluorescent pink, myriad hues collide and harmonize, designed so that any segment yields new beauty. As “photography allowed” becomes increasingly common in modern museums, Mehata cleverly subverts this trend. Visitors use their smartphones to capture their preferred compositions, trimming them to reflect their personal taste—an act that becomes an integral part of the artwork. One might center their frame on a striking mass of fluorescent pink, while another opts for the tranquil interplay of blue and gold. These captured images are uploaded to social media, where each visitor’s perspective reconfigures The Color Cleanser, expanding it endlessly across digital space. This process places the contemporary desire for “self-expression” through art at the heart of the exhibition.  

multi-surround chance-music

-App-Driven Improvisational Transformation of Color into Sound

When visitors scan their captured images with a dedicated app, the colors transform into sounds that resonate from their smartphone speakers. If dozens of people scan simultaneously in the venue, a cascade of distinct tones spills forth, giving birth to an unpredictable “multi-surround chance music.” One visitor’s “beep” blends with another’s “shaa,” overlapping with yet another’s “boom.” This improvisational flood of sound resurrects John Cage’s embrace of chance in a modern context, infusing digital art with “human unpredictability.” Visitors savor the moment their chosen composition becomes sound, resonating with someone else’s—an experience that transcends mere participation, blossoming into “collective creation.” 

-3D App and the Dual Worlds of Reality and Virtuality
The venue offers a QR code to download a 3D app, which opens to reveal a digital replica of the gallery, perfectly mirroring the painting’s colors and layout. But it doesn’t stop there. Stepping beyond the virtual exhibition space unveils a fictional realm— a temple with flowing noise, a game-like flower field, or a golden Japanese-style room—where visitors can roam freely and enjoy. Jumping triggers sounds from the floor, and noise-filled spaces resonate, blending with the real exhibition’s chance music. Sounds born from the physical painting intertwine with those from the virtual adventure, expanding the exhibition across dual layers. Upon leaving, the real door opens to the everyday bustle, while the virtual door leads to continued exploration. This “discrepancy between reality and virtuality” quietly probes the duality of our digital lives, offering a fresh perspective. It’s the pinnacle of Mehata’s fusion of technology and humanity. 

Moon Echo -device

-Moon Echo and Communication Through Delay

The exhibition concludes with Moon Echo, a simple device that echoes one’s voice back after a few seconds. Near the exit, visitors exchange remarks like “That was fun!” or “Amazing!”—but the delayed echoes disrupt the conversation, naturally sparking laughter. “What!?” “Hahaha!”—these staggered exchanges humorously mirror the “lag” of digital communication. 
Beneath the surface, hearing one’s voice objectively prompts a subtle realization of the unconscious aggression often found in social media interactions, inviting self-reflection and purification. Mehata transforms the coldness of technology into “human laughter,” crafting the exhibition into a “space brimming with communication.” This final interaction among visitors warmly lingers as the exhibition’s afterglow.  

-The Significance of The Color Cleanser as a Whole

The Color Cleanser is a holistic experience where painting, app, 3D space, and Moon Echo stand alone yet organically connect, enveloping the audience. Photography and trimming unleash individual creativity, sound transformation fosters collective improvisation, virtual space expands reality, and delayed dialogue deepens bonds. This intricate structure redefines the art experience in the Social Media era, bringing “humanity” to the digital realm. Mehata creates a space where visitors craft “their own beauty,” resonate with others, and share laughter—a “contemporary co-creative space” that transcends mere exhibition, serving as a poetic ritual heralding purification and renewal through color and sound.  

​

An Invitation to Experience

Step into the venue, and your smartphone becomes a tool of art, your voice a part of the exhibition. Play between reality and virtuality, transform color into sound, and laugh with fellow visitors—The Color Cleanser welcomes you as a co-creator. In this world of chaos and harmony crafted by Hiroshi Mehata, discover a new beauty of the digital age and etch your own story.

bottom of page