Threads of Memory: Chiharu Shiota in Boston
Berlin-based Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota (b. 1972) is internationally acclaimed for her immersive installations and provocative sculptures, which are woven from red, black, and white threads. Evocative of webs that entrap, cocoons that protect, or connective pathways, her works explore memory, identity, and the human condition through powerful visual metaphors.
Join Dr. Gannit Ankori (Rose Art Museum) and Dr. Ruth Erickson (Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston) for a virtual conversation exploring Shiota’s riveting Boston-based projects. From the Rose’s 2005 debut of During Sleep to the current monumental installations—Accumulation – Searching for the Destination (2014/2025) and Home Less Home (2025) at the ICA Watershed—this dialogue will also highlight works from the artist’s State of Being series on view at the Rose’s in the exhibition Fabricated Imaginaries: Crafting Art.
Discover how Shiota’s ethereal environments continue to resonate deeply with audiences—locally and globally.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Ruth Erickson is the Barbara Lee Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs of the ICA/Boston. Erickson has been a driving force in the ICA’s curatorial department since joining the museum in 2014. A curator and scholar of contemporary art, she is deeply committed to facilitating artists and institutions working together to create meaningful exhibitions, books, and programs that promote justice and inspire curiosity in the world. Before joining the ICA/Boston, Erickson was a fellow at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia (2008–10) and served as curator at Burlington City Arts (BCA) (2004–7). She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Art History from the University of Pennsylvania and was the recipient of a prestigious Center for Curatorial Leadership Fellowship in 2022.
Gannit Ankori is the Henry and Lois Foster Director and Chief Curator of the Rose Art Museum, and Professor of Fine Arts and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Brandeis University. She is a scholar, author, educator, and curator who has made significant contributions to the field of modern and contemporary art. Viewed from a global perspective, Ankori’s scholarship has examined issues pertaining to gender, identity, religion, trauma, exile, hybridity, disability, and their manifestations in the creative arts. She is internationally renowned for her groundbreaking scholarship on Frida Kahlo and has curated critically acclaimed exhibitions at the Rose Art Museum and across the world.
This program is held in conjuction with the exhibition, Fabricated Imaginaries: Crafting Art, August 20, 2025–May 31, 2026.