nca | nichido contemporary art

Clare Langan
"Metamorphosis"
13th October - 2nd November 2007

nca | nichido contemporary art is pleased to present Irish artist Clare Langan's second solo exhibition.
The show will present a new video work,"Metamorphosis" and photographic works..

Clare Langan powerfully cultivates introspection, where poetic atmospheres and elegiac landscape, capture the very nature of our fragile existence against the perpetual forces of nature. Metamorphosis, 2007 is recalling the acclaimed series A Film Trilogy, 1999 ? 2002.
Metamorphosis deals with issues of cinematic off time, but here time becomes specific, as we see a suspend time of social history. Langan's work investigates an empty cityscape whose streets are errierly absent of its inhabitations. The storm leads us into snow filled interiors, with only flashes of it's former inhabitations to suggest a human presence, but not leading to any definitive conclusions as to their fate.
The hybridity of Clare Langan's practice is can be see with film references that are both historically arresting and diverse, from early black and white glass plate photography and with the beautiful Japanese ink drawings (15th century); this is also merged with an original score by the composer, Jurgen Simpson.
Ultimately Metamorphosis explores our inherent fight for survival in hostile transitory world. In this cyclical film, the intrinsic order of nature, through it's destructive forces and ultimate redemption is evident in the films sequencing. As the earth is claiming back, recovering from itself, from mankind.
Langan has always exploited the cinematic quality of her work in its presentation, both in terms of image projection, sound, and the architecture of the space.

Artist profile;
Born in Dublin in 1967, Clare Langan studied Fine Art at the National College of Art and Design, Dublin and with a Fulbright Scholarship, completed a film workshop at New York University in 1992.
In 2003 Langan presented A Film Trilogy at MoMA in New York and at the Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin. In 2002 she represented Ireland in the 25th Bienal de Sao Paulo, Brazil where Too dark for night was exhibited. The trilogy was exhibited together for the first time at The International 2002, Tate Liverpool for The Liverpool Biennial. She participated in the Glen Dimplex Artists Award 2000 at The Irish Museum of Modern Art.

The trilogy is part of the collections of The Irish Museum of Modern Art and the Tony Podesta Private Collection, Washington, among others. In 2004 the films were exhibited in China as part of IMMA Views from an Island; Contemporary Art from Ireland, and at IMMA in Tir na nOg: Younger Irish artists from the IMMA Collection.
In 2005 the trilogy was exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Photography in Tokyo; The Miami Art Museum; ACME, Melbourne and at the Shanghai Youth Biennial.
Her most recent film Metamorphosis, 2007 won the Principle Prize at the Oberhausen International Short Film Festival, Germany. It was exhibited at the Lyon Biennale 2007, France, and Houldsworth Gallery, London.
Clare Langan was one of 10 invited artists to create a new film work for Becks' Fusions curated by the ICA London, September 6th 2007. Her work used music by Icelandic band Sigur Ros.

Supported by Tokyo Roki,co., Ltd

Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11:00am to 19:00pm

For further information, please contact the gallery at +81 (0)3 3555 2140 or via email