'Nonsense Machine Factory' Exhibit Now Open at IOMA

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The IOMA Art Center (爱马思艺术中心) prides itself on exploring work that is diverse and pushes the boundaries between art and life. And their latest exhibition, which just opened Oct 30, certainly fits the bill.

Titled “Nonsense Machine Factory,” the exhibit is the result of a Chinese-Japanese collaboration that spanned months of long distance communication, due to Covid-related travel restrictions. For the first time in modern history, hundreds of installation works were carefully boxed up and shipped from Kyoto to Beijing. The contents of the boxes? Silly, funny, even ridiculous inventions that subvert the common expectations of practical machinery.

It was no coincidence that the exhibition is taking place at this time, which marks the 50th anniversary of the normalisation of Sino-Japanese diplomatic relations. No wonder the exhibit has transformed the entire 3,000sqm museum space into a creative workshop involving technology, music, design, and even religion! 

To begin, the first-floor gallery is dedicated to – get ready for it because your kids might scream – toys. But these aren’t ordinary, run-of-the-mill toys that you’ll find in any kid’s room. These toys were created specially by Minghe Electric, the Japanese side of this collaborative effort. There are no words to describe them since they really don’t resemble anything logical: think electric sushi, a fish rope, and a dog gun. Not to worry though, as the creative processes and engineering drawings behind some of the creations are also on display. And yes, this gallery is interactive, so kids with itchy fingers will definitely want to visit!

The second floor houses the futuristic “Voice Machines” series which showcases auditory art. Various mechanical installations create strange sounds from unexpected places. Which is to say, don’t be alarmed by the simulated laughter and singing that fills the environment.

Music takes center stage on the third floor, where unique musical instruments pepper the exhibit. One of the must-tries in this area is the interactive drum set that kids will doubtlessly want to get their hands on. And there’s also a mechanical band that performs “live!”

Things get deeper as you move to the fourth floor – existentially speaking – where we begin to ponder our existence alongside the creator of the NAKI fish series, which is itself a response to the question, “What am I?” Here, there's a surprise workshop that you just might be lucky enough to catch and provides a better understanding of this more abstract, but equally intriguing, part of the exhibition.

As you take the stairs back to the first floor, you’ll wonder, “Is it over?” Well, it doesn’t have to be! You’ll have the opportunity to bring back several fun momentos from the exhibit at the gift shop.

The Nonsense Machine Factory exhibition will run from Oct 30, 2021 to Feb 20, 2022. Tickets start from RMB 139, and kids under 1.2m enter for free! Early bird tickets priced at RMB 78 are available until Nov 30. Buy your tickets through IOMA’s official WeChat account (Scan below!) or on DianPing by searching 爱马思艺术中心 (Ài mǎ sī yìshù zhōngxīn).

Images: Courtesy of IOMA Art Museum

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