Ryota Sato
Artist Statement

My works examine human perception and cognition by exploring the preconceived notion of Nature. Humans arbitrarily acknowledge what is known as Nature to us. Man- made ideology of the sublime is projected onto an innocent Nature, constructing the notion of Nature itself. I am interested in how the human gaze functions as a primary tool for understanding and shaping our image-orientated world. This inquiry propels my quest to produce work to unpack or complicate the process of this construction in order for an alternative methodology to arise when understanding Nature.
In the project Why is the internet so slow, I attempt to teach Nature, the wonders of Nature, where I have set up an pedagogical system for Nature to understand and learn human ideologies of Nature. In this installation, there are videos of National Geographic nature documentaries being shown to trees, stones, and the sea, which regard Nature as autonomous being capable of learning. To me, understanding Nature is teaching Nature how to be more appealing to human eyes. I am very interested in how our bodies function as observing machines that constantly cross-checks ideology and reality, which are two separate domains that never meet. Yet, these observing bodies create a space or portal where an idea and the world outside can meet and communicate.
Encounter;IMG38, explores the notion of visibility. This video work progress from a video-collage made of footage found under the search-term, “seeing,” to a documentation of me watching Youtube videos, which have never been viewed. I was
the first person to view the videos for the first time. This work questions the value of online videos and the politics of visibility.

Artist Web Site
http://ryotasato.net
Works & History
EDUCATION
2016 Parsons School of Design, MFA Fine Arts, New York, USA
2004 University College Falmouth, Fine Art BA(HONS), Falmouth, UK

SOLO and TWO
2016 White Dust Billows Under Black Sun / Fukiage Museum of Art / Okayama, Japan
2012 The sea of ice / BALANCE / Okayama, Japan
2011 who is it wears the mask / HARMAS GALLERY/ Tokyo, Japan
2010 Ryota Sato Exhibition / S.V.A / Stroud, U.K
2007 Atomatics / Okayama Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza / Okayama, Japan

GROUP
2016 I Can Because you Do - Curated by Alhena Katsof / Participant Inc / New York, USA
2016 #F*nked! / Kansas City Art Institute Dodge Painting Gallery / Kansas City Art Institute / Kansas, USA
2016 Okayama I shi Prize / Okayama Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza / Okayama, Japan
2016 Introduction / Trestle Gallery / Brooklyn, USA
2015 Let me show you my topia / Sawtooth ARI Gallery / Tasmania, Australia
2015 ATAVAST / Room service gallery / New York, USA
2014 I shi prize / Okayama Prefectural Museum of Arts / Okayama, Japan
2012 Living Places / HARMAS GALLERY / Tokyo, Japan
2011 Art Now Okayama / Okayama Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza / Okayama, Japan
2011 Red Thread / Michael Tippet Centre Gallery, Bath Spa University / Bath, U.K
2011 Okayama I shi Prize / Okayama Tenjinyama Cultural Plaza / Okayama, Japan
2010 ULTRA 03 / SPIRAL / Tokyo, Japan