2026 Open Studios!

30.Oct.2026

Three artist groups—Hrair Sarkissian, Bruno Ruiz, and the duo Vivi Zhu and Tian Jiawei—will present the outcomes of their residencies at ARCUS Project. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience works that have taken shape through each artist’s individual interests and ideas, research conducted during their residency, and encounters and discoveries in the local community. Beyond viewing the completed works, this is also an opportunity to explore the creative process and discover how initial ideas evolved and developed into artworks. In September 2026, ARCUS Project relocated to Koya Elementary School in Moriya City. This Open Studios marks the first time the event is being held at our new location. We look forward to seeing you.

　　　　　
Period
November 27th (Fri) — November 29th (Sun) 13:00 -18:00
Place
ARCUS Project (Koya Elementary School)
Admission Fee
Free
Artist
Hrair Sarkissian
Bruno Ruiz
Vivi Zhu and Jiawei Tian
Contact
TEL 0297-46-2600 arcus@arcus-project.com

※The programs and timetable are subject to change

PROGRAM

November 28 (Sat) 15:00-17:00

Artist Talk

Artists invited to this year’s Artist-in-Residence Program—Hrair Sarkissian, Bruno Ruiz, and the duo Vivi Zhu and Jiawei Tian—will share insights into their residency experiences and artistic processes. Joined by two curators who served as jurors for the program, they will discuss how their projects evolved from their initial concepts, share stories from their research and behind-the-scenes moments from the creative process, and offer a glimpse into how their works took shape and where their practices may lead next. ※In Japanese and English. No booking required.


Speaker:
Iioka Riku (Associate Curator at Yokohama Museum of Art)
Yoshida Yamar (Curatorial Producer and Founder of FLOATING ALPS LLC)

November 29 (San) 14:30-15:30

Studio Tour

Studio Guided Tour by ARCUS Staff

※In Japanese. No booking required

2026 Resident Artists

Hrair Sarkissian

Sarkissian is a Syrian artist of Armenian descent, currently based in London, UK. In Japan, he has previously participated in the “Arab Express” exhibition held at the Mori Art Museum, Tokyo in 2012, as well as the Aichi Triennale 2025. His practice consistently adopts a format of archiving traumatic events, including the Armenian genocide and those which occurred in Syria, through photography, sound and installation. Execution Squares is a series of photographs of public squares in the Syrian cities of Aleppo, Latakia and Damascus, where public executions were once carried out. The shadow of state violence hangs over these scenes of the city that are encountered casually every day. What happened, what was lost, what is a state, and what is identity? These questions of history and belonging resonate deeply throughout Sarkissian’s works. Past solo exhibitions include The Other Side of Silence (Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE, 2021-2022) and FOCUS: Hrair Sarkissian (Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, USA, 2020). He also participated in Armenity/Haiyutioun. Contemporary Artists from the Armenian Diaspora, presented by the Armenian Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale, which won the Golden Lion for Best National Participation.

Bruno Ruiz

Ruiz is based in Mexico City, and his practice is on the intersection of the DIY (Do It Yourself) ethos and street culture. In Mexico City, where social and cultural resources are limited, he incorporates duplication and piracy as means and methods to pursue freedom of expression. He is also active as part of the “Red de Reproducción y Distribución (RRD: Network of Reproduction and Distribution),” a collective which functions out of a kiosk on the street producing self-published zines. Critically challenging the industrialized publishing and distribution systems, he conveys another path in the DIY-spirit, carved out independently through workshops and installations. Past exhibitions include Sharjah Biennial 16 (UAE, 2025), the Busan Biennale (South Korea, 2024, as RRD), and Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines (Brooklyn Museum, USA, 2023, as RRD). In 2024, he participated in artist-in-residence programs at the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (Japan) and the Singapore Art Museum.

Vivi Zhu and Jiawei Tian

This duo is comprised of artist-curator Vivi Zhu and artist Jiawei Tian. Interested in the concept of ‘performance’ in everyday life, Zhu researches the process of identity being formed and reimagined within cultural contexts and social constructs. Tian is interested in psychological or physical transitions and tipping points, visualizing these through performative sculpture and installation. While both explore social systems and constructs through physical experience, they remind aware that both are also subject to change through their mutual influence. Further, their engage with spacial concepts and practical applications informed by ethnology and anthropology, bringing a vitality to their work. Both Zhu and Tian have participated in numerous exhibitions at art spaces in Tokyo and across China.