Mori Building Co., Ltd. (Headquartered in Minato-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO Yasuhiro Kogo) is presenting Tony Oursler: Tech/Gnosis-Magic, Media, Art at TOKYO NODE, the artist's first major solo exhibition in Japan. Running from July 3 (Fri) to September 27 (Sun), 2026, the show introduces American multimedia art pioneer Tony Oursler to Japanese audiences on a large scale for the first time.
Ahead of the public opening, TOKYO NODE held a preview reception for press and industry guests, welcoming Oursler himself along with the exhibition's curators, Reiko Tsubaki and Alice Nien-Pu Ko.
Oursler in front of Specular. Photo: Yuya Furukawa
"Holding an exhibition at TOKYO NODE has been a dream of mine for years," Oursler said. "To me, art is a space the viewer can take part in — it's the audience who completes the work. I hope this exhibition can achieve something like that as well."
Curator Reiko Tsubaki added, "Oursler has held around 250 solo exhibitions and taken part in more than 400 group shows across 34 countries. At a time when AI, surveillance technology, and generative media are shaping our perceptions and beliefs, and technology and magic intersect, his work asks us to reconsider what we should believe. We're delighted to finally be able to hold such a major first solo exhibition for him in Japan, here at TOKYO NODE."
Co-curator Alice Nien-Pu Ko added, "Through Oursler's work, visitors can trace a unique history of technology from the 1970s to the present. Spanning filmmaking, projection, television, and AI, the exhibition follows how the artist has engaged with and pushed forward each medium along the way."
49 Works, Including Two World Premieres
The exhibition makes use of TOKYO NODE's dome-shaped gallery space, with a ceiling reaching 15 meters, to present a large new commission, Chimera (2026), alongside the world premiere of Empty (2000) — a piece Oursler began developing in 1999 with musician David Bowie and composer Glenn Branca. In total, 23 of the 49 works on view are being shown in Japan for the first time.
Chimera and the Caricature series, installation view: Tony Oursler: Tech/Gnosis-Magic, Media, Art, TOKYO NODE. Photo: Keizo Kioku
Other highlights include Specular (2021), an installation of glowing eyes of varying sizes suspended in a darkened room, and Imponderable (2015-2016), a feature-length video installation making its Japan debut. Both works immerse visitors in the sensations of watching and being watched, pulling them into a loop of observation.
Specular, 2021, installation view: Tony Oursler: Tech/Gnosis-Magic, Media, Art, TOKYO NODE. Photo: Keizo Kioku
Spanning early signature works to new pieces created specifically for this exhibition, the 49 works on view are all worth a close look.
Empty, 2000, installation view: Tony Oursler: Tech/Gnosis-Magic, Media, Art, TOKYO NODE. Photo: Yuya Furukawa
Lock 2, 4, 6, 2010, installation view: Tony Oursler: Tech/Gnosis-Magic, Media, Art, TOKYO NODE. Photo: Keizo Kioku
Private, 1993, installation view: Tony Oursler: Tech/Gnosis-Magic, Media, Art, TOKYO NODE. Photo: Keizo Kioku
mAcHiNe E.L.F., 2023, installation view: Tony Oursler: Tech/Gnosis-Magic, Media, Art, TOKYO NODE. Photo: Keizo Kioku
About Tony Oursler
Born in 1957, Tony Oursler is a pioneer of video installation and projection art. The New York Times (April 27, 2001) described him as "a sculptor of air with video." He is known for uncanny, immersive installations that combine video, sculpture, sound, light, and language.
Oursler has been close with artists including Mike Kelley, Constance DeJong, and Tony Conrad, and is highly regarded within Japan's contemporary art scene, though his work has never before been presented in Japan on this scale. This exhibition brings together pieces spanning from his early signature works to new pieces created for this show, marking his first major solo exhibition in Japan. It also offers a special look at a portion of Oursler's own collection of more than 3,000 items related to science, magic, and unexplained phenomena — the wellspring of his creative practice.
Exhibition Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Exhibition | Tony Oursler: Tech/Gnosis-Magic, Media, Art |
| Dates | July 3 (Fri) – September 27 (Sun), 2026 |
| Venue | TOKYO NODE GALLERY A/B/C (Toranomon Hills Station Tower, 45F; 2-6-2 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo) |
| Hours | 10:00 AM–7:00 PM (Fri/Sat until 8:00 PM); last entry 30 minutes before closing; hours subject to change |
| Tickets | General ¥2,400; university/vocational school students ¥1,400; junior high/high school students ¥800 (tax included); elementary school age and under free |
| Ticket notes | Students must bring a student ID; visitors with a disability certificate may bring one accompanying caregiver free of charge |
| Where to buy | ARTPASS (online) and on-site at TOKYO NODE (during the exhibition period only): https://art-ap.passes.jp/user/e/tony-oursler/ |
| Organizer | TOKYO NODE (Mori Building Co., Ltd.) |
| Curators | Reiko Tsubaki (TOKYO NODE), Alice Nien-Pu Ko (Independent Curator) |
| Cooperation | SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Lisson, Lehmann Maupin |
| Support | TOKYO MX |
| Official website | https://www.tokyonode.jp/events/tony-oursler/index.html |
Official Exhibition Catalog
The exhibition's official catalog collects every work on view — about half of them shown in Japan for the first time, including new commissions — in full color. Alongside newly shot photography from the exhibition and archival material, it includes an essay by Oursler himself, essays by curators Reiko Tsubaki and Alice Nien-Pu Ko, and an essay by media art curator and critic Minoru Hatanaka. It is the first substantial Japanese-language publication devoted to the artist.
- Price: ¥3,960 (tax included)
- Specs: B5 variant size (W178 × H251 mm), 204 pages, bilingual Japanese/English
The catalog goes on sale at the exhibition's special shop from mid-August 2026, with advance orders available online now (shipped in order after release) at https://oil.bijutsutecho.com/artbooks/928/1100055420.
A Collaboration Menu Inspired by Oursler's World
Five restaurants and bars inside Toranomon Hills are serving a collaboration menu inspired by the exhibition's world, from July 3 (Fri) to September 27 (Sun), 2026. The lineup includes a drink modeled on the glowing eyes from Specular — one of the exhibition's key visuals — and a color-changing cocktail that lets guests experience "magic," one of the show's central themes.
- PUBLIC BAR / dam pub / Kakuuchi KAN (Toranomon Hills Station Tower B2F, inside T-MARKET)
- TOKYO NODE CAFE (Toranomon Hills Station Tower 8F)
- TOKYO NODE DINING (Toranomon Hills Station Tower 45F)
Menu details: https://www.toranomonhills.com/assets/files/topics/collabomenu_20260703.pdf
Official Goods
The exhibition offers a wide lineup of original goods, from postcards and clear files to a mesh tote bag and candy featuring Specular, the piece used in the exhibition's key visual.
- Hours: 10:00 AM–7:00 PM (Fri/Sat until 8:00 PM)
- Location: TOKYO NODE 45F special shop
*Actual products may differ slightly in specification and color from what is pictured.
From left: mesh tote (¥4,950), T-shirt (¥5,500), long T-shirt (¥6,600), cap (¥5,500), sphere candy (¥864), can mirror (¥990), craft soap (¥3,520), acrylic keychain (¥1,100), flat pouch (¥3,300). All prices tax included.
Summer Mystery Night: A Strange Evening at Toranomon Hills
Toranomon Hills, home to TOKYO NODE, is hosting a linked program this summer called "Summer Mystery Night," letting visitors experience the exhibition's uncanny world with all five senses.
Look up at the eaves of the Toranomon Hills Oval Plaza and you'll see Planet of Faces, a projection-mapping work by artist Shota Yamauchi, who has been deeply influenced by Oursler. A workshop inspired by Chimera, the exhibition's new commission, invites children to design and build their own "chimera lantern," which they can then carry while viewing the exhibition or joining an evening parade through the neighborhood. Additional programs include "A Slightly Strange Job Experience: Midnight Curator," an immersive night-museum experience in which visitors patrol the closed galleries as a "curator," and "Toranomon Ghost Story Night: Okuribon," an evening of ghost stories featuring popular storyteller Ami and Toshi Boys — rounding out a lineup of programs built for a chilling summer.
Dates: August 7 (Fri) – August 16 (Sun), 2026 (see the official site for each event's exact schedule)
Location: various spots around Toranomon Hills
Official site: https://www.toranomonhills.com/events/2026/07/0261.html
Shota Yamauchi, Planet of Faces, 2022
Planet of Faces Projection Mapping
Shota Yamauchi's projection-mapping work lights up Toranomon Hills' outdoor plaza.
- Dates: August 7 (Fri) – August 16 (Sun), 7:00 PM–9:00 PM
- Location: Toranomon Hills Mori Tower 2F, Oval Plaza
- Admission: Free
Chimera Lantern Workshop
A workshop for elementary school children to design an imaginary creature — a "chimera" — and build their own one-of-a-kind chimera lantern.
- Dates: August 14 (Fri), August 15 (Sat); sessions start at 1:00 PM, 2:15 PM, 3:30 PM, and 4:45 PM
- Location: Toranomon Hills Station Tower B2F, Station Atrium special venue
- Price: ¥3,500 (tax included; includes materials and one general admission ticket to the exhibition; elementary school age and under enter free)
- Event site: https://www.hillscard.com/contents/hws2026_208
A Slightly Strange Job Experience: Midnight Curator
An immersive night-museum experience in which visitors patrol the closed galleries as a "curator."
- Dates: July 24 (Fri) – August 30 (Sun), Thursdays through Sundays (excluding July 30); special Obon-period dates August 10 (Mon) – August 12 (Wed); 25 days in total
- Times: Thu/Sun 6:45 PM; Fri/Sat 7:45 PM (each session runs about 75 minutes); August 10–12 follow the Thursday/Sunday schedule
- Venue: TOKYO NODE, Toranomon Hills Station Tower 8F/45F
- Price: ¥4,500 (tax included, includes an exhibition ticket); weekday student discount ¥3,500 (tax included); last-session-of-the-day discount ¥4,000 (tax included)
- Event site: http://twilight.co.jp/midnight-curator
Toranomon Ghost Story Night: Okuribon
Storyteller Ami and Toshi Boys host a one-night-only ghost story event inspired by the Tony Oursler exhibition at TOKYO NODE HALL.
- Date: August 16 (Sun), 6:00 PM–7:30 PM and 8:30 PM–10:00 PM (two performances)
- Price: from ¥4,400 (tax included, includes an exhibition ticket) / from ¥3,000 (tax included, ghost story only); both prices exclude a separate ticketing fee
- Venue: TOKYO NODE HALL, Toranomon Hills Station Tower 46F
- Event site: https://www.tokyonode.jp/events/tora_kaidan/index.html
