ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Yukinori Yanagi's monumental 'ICARUS' at Pirelli HangarBicocca

exhibition · 2026-04-26

After a 32-year absence, Yukinori Yanagi (Fukuoka, 1959) is making his return to Italy with 'ICARUS', a significant exhibition at Milan's Pirelli HangarBicocca, curated by Vicente Todolí and Fiammetta Griccioli. The exhibition showcases various works from his artistic journey, including 'Icarus Container 2025', which features a maze of shipping containers adorned with mirrors etched with verses by Yukio Mishima. Yanagi connects the poem to Japan's postwar economic ambitions that threaten cultural integrity. His art explores themes of globalization, atomic radiation, and environmental issues. Notable pieces include 'Absolute Dud' (2007), a replica of the Hiroshima bomb, and 'The World Flag Ant Farm' (2025), which challenges national borders. Since the 2000s, Yanagi has concentrated on community initiatives, breathing new life into Japanese island communities.

Key facts

  • Yukinori Yanagi's exhibition 'ICARUS' at Pirelli HangarBicocca, Milan, curated by Vicente Todolí and Fiammetta Griccioli.
  • The show runs in the Navate and Cubo spaces, featuring works from Yanagi's career.
  • Centerpiece 'Icarus Container 2025' is a labyrinth of shipping containers connected to an external tower.
  • Mirrors engraved with verses from Yukio Mishima's 'Sole e acciaio' (1968) are inside the labyrinth.
  • Yanagi studied at Yale University under Vito Acconci and Frank Gehry (1988–1990).
  • He left the US in 2000 and now lives on Momoshima Island, Japan.
  • 'Banzai Container' (2025) references Godzilla and Ultraman, addressing atomic radiation and pollution.
  • 'Absolute Dud' (2007) is a replica of the Hiroshima atomic bomb.
  • 'The World Flag Ant Farm' (2025) won the Aperto 93 prize at the 45th Venice Biennale.
  • Yanagi has distanced himself from the art market since the 2000s, focusing on community projects on Japanese islands.

Entities

Artists

  • Yukinori Yanagi
  • Vito Acconci
  • Frank Gehry
  • Yukio Mishima

Institutions

  • Pirelli HangarBicocca
  • Yale University
  • 45th Venice Biennale
  • United Nations
  • Pirelli Hangar Bicocca
  • Art Base Momoshima
  • Inujima Seirensho Art Museum
  • YANAGI + ART BASE
  • Venice Biennale

Locations

  • Milan
  • Italy
  • Fukuoka
  • Japan
  • Momoshima Island
  • San Francisco
  • United States
  • Hiroshima
  • Taiwan
  • Tibet
  • Palestine
  • Momoshima
  • Seto Inland Sea
  • Alcatraz
  • Inujima
  • Anjwa
  • South Korea
  • Jeollanam-Do

Sources