Roppongi Crossing 2025:
What Passes Is Time. We Are Eternal.

Featured Artists / Artist Groups

* In alphabetical order of the artists’ surnames
* This list of featured artists is subject to change.

• A.A.Murakami
  Formed 2011 in London; based in London and Tokyo
• Kelly Akashi
  Born 1983 in Los Angeles; based in Los Angeles
• Amefurashi
  Formed 2015 in Yamagata; based in Yamagata
• Araki Yu
  Born 1985 in Yamagata; based in Kyoto
• Gardar Eide Einarsson
  Born 1976 in Oslo; based in Tokyo
• Higaleo
  Born 1995 in Okinawa; based in Okinawa
• Hiro Naotaka
  Born 1972 in Osaka; based in Los Angeles
• Hosoi Miyu
  Born 1993 in Aichi; based in Tokyo
• Kihara Tomo
  Born 1994 in Kyoto; based in Tokyo
• Kim Insook
  Born 1978 in Osaka; based in Tokyo and Seoul
• Kitazawa Jun
  Born 1988 in Tokyo; based in Yogyakarta, Indonesia
• Kuwata Takuro
  Born 1981 in Hiroshima; based in Gifu
• Miyata Asuka
  Born 1985 in Aichi; based in Mie
• Multiple Spirits
  Formed 2018 in Vienna; based in Vienna and Tokyo
• Oki Junko
  Born 1963 in Saitama; based in Kanagawa
• Shoji Asami
  Born 1988 in Fukushima; based in Tokyo
• Shooshie Sulaiman
  Born 1973 in Muar, Malaysia; based in Muar and Hiroshima
• Wada Reijiro
  Born 1977 in Hiroshima; based in Berlin
• Maya Watanabe
  Born 1983 in Lima; based in Amsterdam
• Carrie Yamaoka
  Born 1957 in New York; based in New York
• ZUGAKOUSAKU & KURIEITO
  Formed 2009 in Hyogo; based in Hyogo

On the Theme of “Time”

This edition of Roppongi Crossing will examine today’s “Japan” through contemporary art, focusing on the intersections of different flows of times that become visible through multifaceted interpretations on the concept of “time.”

Can we escape from the overwhelming speed and temporal oppression imposed by modern society? In a society that privileges technological innovation and efficiency, instant gratification and short-term results are prioritized, and people are expected to live faster. Meanwhile, art teaches us that “time” shifts and changes according to the depth of our experiences and sensations, and that it exists in truly diverse forms - personal time, time with others, the time of flora and fauna, geological time, and time embedded in geopolitical and social contexts.

The theme of “time” may appear abstract and detached from the manifold issues haunting modern society. It is also true, however, that it has become far more difficult to foster and develop a common awareness amidst a world increasingly fragmented by war, racial discrimination, economic disparity, and human rights issues. Even under such circumstances, art can serve as a catalyst for generating a sense of empathy and dialogue with others.

This year’s Roppongi Crossing introduces works of art by artists active in Japan regardless of nationality, as well as those based overseas with Japanese roots. This is an attempt to approach and reconsider “Japan” from a broader point of view, reassessing its framework from its regional, cultural, and geopolitical perspectives. Furthermore, through the universal theme of “time,” the exhibition seeks to discover commonalities at a deeper level that exist beyond cultural differences.

The subtitle What Passes Is Time. We Are Eternal. is quoted from a verse in a poem by Sapardi Djoko Damono, one of Indonesia’s renowned contemporary poets. This poem speaks of the preciousness of “time,” a universal concept, but also the danger of losing sight of the essence of living, trapped within that time. In life, which is a continuous series of fleeting moments, eternity resides in this very instant. This encompasses not merely the continuation of human life, but rather the persistence of memory, the meaning of existence, and the nature of human relationships. This poem resonates deeply with the power of art which encourages us to feel and contemplate the essence of things. Through this exhibition, we will reconsider what “Japan” is, and turn to the various ways of life inherent to this moment as well as its permanence. In doing so, it will also become a place for us to explore possibilities for surviving in today’s increasingly complex society.