Yuko Mohri

Project description

Moré Moré [Leaky] was a solo exhibition by Yuko Mohri (b. 1980, Tokyo) at White Rainbow, Fitzrovia, London, marking the artist’s first presentation at a UK gallery. Mohri, who represented Japan at the 60th Venice Biennale, presented a new iteration of her ongoing research project focusing on the Tokyo Metro and the improvised repairs she encountered within its infrastructure.

The exhibition centred on Moré Moré [Leaky], a kinetic installation developed from Mohri’s long-term research into the Tokyo Metro. The project was first presented at the Nissan Art Award in 2015, where Mohri was awarded the prize. At White Rainbow, the work extended this research through an installation that responded to the built environment and the material systems of the city.

Mohri’s installation takes the form of a circuit in which found materials are connected to contain and redirect flowing water, echoing the makeshift repairs she observed in the Tokyo Metro. The work draws attention to the ways in which infrastructure is maintained, adapted and repaired, transforming functional interventions into an evolving sculptural and kinetic system.

The Moré Moré [Leaky] series is characterised by extensive fieldwork and photographic documentation of these repairs. A selection of photographs was produced and displayed for the first time at White Rainbow, bringing Mohri’s research into photography into direct dialogue with her installation practice and extending the visual documentation that underpins the project.

Mohri’s installations frequently combine reconfigured machine parts and everyday objects, including bicycle wheels, plastic sheeting, watering cans and lightbulbs. Collected in cities around the world, these materials are assembled into self-contained moving systems or “ecosystems” through which intangible forces such as magnetism, gravity, temperature and light become perceptible.

Moré Moré [Leaky] follows this approach, bringing together everyday objects, discarded materials and machine parts collected in London. Suspended within a frame from the gallery ceiling, the assemblage transforms these materials into a kinetic environment that reflects Mohri’s interest in movement, energy, infrastructure and the hidden systems of the city.

The exhibition was accompanied by a catalogue featuring a newly commissioned essay by artist Richard Wentworth, a conversation with Mark Rappolt, Editor of ArtReview, and installation photographs documenting the exhibition.

Moré Moré [Leaky]: The Falling Water Given #4-6, Installation view at White Rainbow, London, 2017 Wood Frames, found objects, water pump system

Bio

Yuko Mohri (b. 1980, Tokyo) is a Japanese artist whose multidisciplinary practice encompasses installation, sculpture, sound, photography and kinetic systems. Her work often begins with extensive research and fieldwork, through which everyday objects, found materials and mechanical components are reconfigured into dynamic installations.

Mohri’s practice explores invisible forces and systems, including magnetism, gravity, electricity, temperature and sound. Her installations transform ordinary materials and functional objects into responsive environments in which movement, chance and interaction become central to the work.

Mohri represented Japan at the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024. She has exhibited internationally at museums, galleries and major contemporary art exhibitions, and was the recipient of the Nissan Art Award in 2015.

Project details

Year: 2017
Artist: Yuko Mohri
Exhibition: Moré Moré [Leaky]
Venue: White Rainbow, London
Format: Solo exhibition; installation, photography and kinetic sculpture
Advisor and Associate Curator: Keith Whittle
Catalogue: Essay by Richard Wentworth; conversation with Mark Rappolt
Country: United Kingdom