Correspondences: Between Beauty and Pain
Review of the Tokyo Exhibition by Patti Smith and Soundwalk Collective
Read in Japanese → Correspondences：美しさと痛み、そのあいだで
I visited the exhibition “Correspondences,” currently being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. The collaborative works by Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith weave together poetry, sound, and video, quietly traveling back and forth through memory, nature, and death. Forests affected by nuclear disaster, scorched trees, breath-like soundscapes. What I found was not a story, but a presence—a subtle trace.
At the core of the exhibition lies a decade-long journey of field recordings. But this isn’t just nature captured on tape. There is a sense of place within. The rustling of wind, footsteps, faint reverberations—each sound resonated not merely as a scene, but as a trace that something once was there.
I was reminded of a film I once made. I tried layering ambient sounds of everyday life to depict a dystopia, but strangely, it sounded pastoral. I ended up rebuilding it entirely with artificial sounds. That experience made me realize how everyday sounds can inadvertently speak of “happiness.” There was a quiet ache and gratitude in that realization—one that resonated with this exhibition.
At the same time, I couldn’t ignore the fact that this experience was occurring within the institutional setting of a museum. Observing “loss” or “pain” within a white cube space, surrounded by guests carrying brand-name bags, felt oddly detached—like a privileged vantage point. The admission fee is 1,800 yen—a relatively high barrier. I couldn’t help but feel a sense of frustration, knowing that those without financial ease might never be able to encounter this exhibition.
To be fair, Japan does offer discounted or free access to exhibitions for people with disabilities and seniors. At this museum, eligible visitors can view the exhibit for free.
Still, there remains an invisible gap between those who can and those who cannot visit such spaces. Many young people today are barely surviving—overwhelmed by tuition, rent, part-time jobs, and future anxieties. An 1,800 yen ticket is no small hurdle. And often it’s not just about money—it’s about not having the emotional bandwidth to care.
Access to this exhibition varied greatly depending on the country. At kurimanzutto gallery in New York, entry was free. Anyone could drop in. In contrast, the Athens exhibition charged 50 euros, but also offered reduced pricing (5–7 euros) for the unemployed, people with disabilities, and local residents. The curators clearly understood the responsibility that comes with showcasing pain and social commentary, making intentional efforts to ensure fair access.
This tension has surfaced in critiques of the show. The idea of wealthy audiences paying high prices to view politically or emotionally charged works in pristine gallery spaces has drawn suspicion. We’ve seen similar critiques before—like when a retrospective on 1970s punk was staged as a luxury event, sparking backlash: “You can't gallery-ize punk without killing its spirit.”
Here too, some question whether tragedy and crisis have been rendered too consumable, too beautiful. The exhibition uses clips from films by Pier Paolo Pasolini and Tarkovsky, interwoven with poetic narration—creating a deeply aesthetic and immersive experience. But this very beauty may dilute the urgency of its themes. As Flash Art Magazine noted, the Pompidou Center labeled the Paris edition as a “spectacular” show—highlighting the tension between critique and spectacle.
Patti Smith is an icon of punk, after all. There’s an inherent friction between her raw spirit and the polished presentation of this exhibition. Yet, I couldn’t dismiss the show. In fact, it was precisely the discomfort I felt in that well-crafted space that felt like a response to the exhibition’s own questions. Art doesn’t merely present—it unsettles, stirs, and invites us to feel.
Correspondences—a call and response. Perhaps our act of responding—whether to a distant poem or the rustle of a forest—is itself the most honest dialogue we can offer today.
Exhibition Details
Title: Correspondences
Dates: April 26 – June 29, 2025
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (3rd Floor Exhibition Room)
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (Last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays (or the following day if Monday is a national holiday)
Admission:
¥1,800 (General)
¥1,200 (University students / Vocational students / Seniors)
¥600 (Middle & high school students)
Free (Children under 12, disability ID holders + 2 companions)
https://www.mot-art-museum.jp
References:
Hyperallergic: “When Punk Meets the Gallery”
Brooklyn Rail: “Patti Smith and Soundwalk Collective: Correspondences”
Flash Art Magazine: “Evidence and the Spectacle of Memory”
