Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory

The National Museum of Art, Osaka · B3F Gallery · Osaka · –

Key facts

GUAN makes in-depth guides to time-limited special exhibitions: each selected work has commentary and audio in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese and English, and every key fact cites its source.

Dates
Jul 19 to Nov 3, 2026
Venue
The National Museum of Art, Osaka · Nakanoshima · Osaka
Opening hours
10:00–17:00
Closed
Mondays (open Jul 20, Sep 21, Oct 12, and Nov 2), plus Jul 21, Sep 24, and Oct 13.
Admission
Adult ¥1,800; University student ¥1,200
GUAN guide
8 selected works with text and audio in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and English; free
Highlights
Everyday objects, sound, language, bodies, and sculptural devices generate changing events.

Everyday objects, sound, language, bodies, and sculptural devices generate changing events. The Osaka version rebuilds the Tokyo presentation with collection works and new performances.

In-depth audio guide

Features: Aki Sasamoto: eight works inside a living laboratory

Plan your visit

Opening hours
10:00–17:00 Until 20:00 on Fridays; last admission 30 minutes before closing.
Closed
Mondays (open Jul 20, Sep 21, Oct 12, and Nov 2), plus Jul 21, Sep 24, and Oct 13.
Closed during the exhibition
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Admission
  • Adult ¥1,800
  • University student ¥1,200
Reservation
No reservation required. Performances require a free numbered ticket and valid same-day exhibition admission.

Information verified · Check the official site for same-day updates

Works (8)

  1. 5. Skewed Lies Aki Sasamoto · Mixed-media installation and performance · Contemporary · 2010 · Collection of the artist (courtesy Take Ninagawa) — Find a bodily route among aluminium pipes, school desks, mosquito netting, and everyday objects.
  2. 4. catch or be caught Aki Sasamoto · Steel, stainless steel, torsion springs, motor, cable, carpet, and cellophane · Contemporary · 2025 · Collection of the artist (courtesy Take Ninagawa) — Find where power enters the structure, then watch how movement reaches its softer materials.
  3. 6. Sounding Lines Aki Sasamoto · Wood, kitchen utensils, paint, resin, film, metal components, fishhooks, motor, speed controller, and timer · Contemporary · 2024/2026 · Collection of the artist (courtesy Take Ninagawa) — Follow a movement along the springs, noticing where it slows, rebounds, or changes direction.
  4. 7. E_O Aki Sasamoto · Mixed-media installation and performance · Contemporary · 2011 · Collection of the artist (courtesy Take Ninagawa) — Find circuits of seeing and being seen among mirrors, lenses, microphones, lemons, and chain-link mesh.
  5. 8. Social Sink Microcosm #1 Aki Sasamoto · Two-compartment commercial sink, fan, speed controller, snail shell, sponge, bottle cap, and other materials · Contemporary · 2022 · Collection of Shane Akeroyd — Choose one small object and test whether you can predict its path.
  6. 3. Secrets of My Mother’s Child Aki Sasamoto · Mixed-media installation and performance · Contemporary · 2009 · Collection of the artist (courtesy Take Ninagawa) — Treat hangers, account book, abacus, socks, grapefruit, and knife shoes as memory triggers.
  7. 1. Wrong Happy Hour Aki Sasamoto · Mixed-media installation and performance · Contemporary · 2014 · Collection of the artist (courtesy Take Ninagawa) — Circle movable walls with viewers, espresso equipment, bar objects, and pulleys, noticing sightlines being cut and reconnected.
  8. 2. Yield Point Aki Sasamoto · Mixed-media installation, performance, and two material-test video files · Contemporary · 2017 · The National Museum of Art, Osaka — Use springs, elastic, steel doors, trash bags, and test videos to ask when a material stops returning and changes irreversibly.

Questions

Is there an audio guide for Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory?

Yes. GUAN selected 8 works from the exhibition, each with text and audio in Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, and English. All of it is free.

How much is admission to Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory?

Adult ¥1,800; University student ¥1,200.

When is Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory on?

Jul 19 to Nov 3, 2026.

What are the opening hours of Aki Sasamoto’s Life Laboratory?

Open 10:00–17:00. Until 20:00 on Fridays; last admission 30 minutes before closing. Closed: Mondays (open Jul 20, Sep 21, Oct 12, and Nov 2), plus Jul 21, Sep 24, and Oct 13.

Official website

Sources for this page

More at this museum

On now and opening soon in Osaka