Divine Duality: Sushi, Null, and the Eel Dragon in Edo's Cyclical Time and Space」

"Divine Duality: Sushi, Null, and the Eel Dragon in Edo's Cyclical Time and Space" is an exhibition that examines the religious spaces of the Edo period and explores the cyclical nature of time and space based on the philosophical system of Digital Nature that Dr. Yoichi Ochiai has long pursued.
At the center of the exhibition are the sculpture "Eel Dragon," which offers a contemporary interpretation of Edo culture, and the sacred object "One Buddha, Five Sweetfish, Eight Eels, Triangular-Rimmed Buddha Beast Mirror," an evolution from previous works such as "Object-Oriented Bodhisattva" (last year) and "Null Is Color and Color Is Null" (the year before). These works embody the concept of "Null" in Ochiai's art. "Null" refers to the concept of null in computer science, representing "emptiness" in Buddhism.
In preparing for this exhibition, Ochiai conducted an extensive research on the history of the Yaesu, Nihonbashi, and Kyobashi areas. From this research emerged the two central sculptures of the exhibition. The exhibition was conceived as a cyclical display that moves between day and night, combining the “One Buddha, Five Sweetfish, Eight Eels, Triangular-rimmed Buddha and Beast Mirror,” which developed modern elements of Buddhism as part of the syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism, and the “Eel Dragon,” which is the reincarnation of the Dragon God.
This exhibition crystallizes the philosophy and aesthetics that Ochiai has cultivated over many years, transcending the dualities of time and space, sacred and profane, and reality and unreality through the fusion of Edo's religious spaces and contemporary digital expressions. From the perspective of Digital Nature, it invites viewers to a new artistic experience where the rich cultural heritage of Edo and the complexities of modern society intersect.