Among the most memorable contributions to the inaugural Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art in 1993, Shigeo Toya’s Woods III 1991–92 became one of the first large-scale installations to enter the QAG collection.

‘Woods III: Inscriptions and Excavations’ seeks to draw out ideas of inscription and excavation in Toya’s practice by placing Woods III in dialogue with selected holdings from QAGOMA’s extensive collection of contemporary Japanese art.

The accompanying selection of works responds to Toya’s approach to mark-making and giving form to the invisible. Including works by Lee Ufan, Tokihiro Sato, Yoko Asakai and Yuta Nakamura, this Collection display expands on these themes as they relate to creativity, time, and the natural and constructed world, while preserving the sense of stillness at the installation’s heart.

‘Woods III: Inscriptions and Excavations’ is on display in QAG’s Gallery 14 from 2 March to 27 January 2025.

Feature image: Shigeo Toya’s Woods III 1991–92, installed for ‘Inscriptions and Excavations’, GOMA, March 2024 / © Shigeo Toya / Photograph: C Callistemon, QAGOMA