Field Review | Artist Interview Series
In conversation with
Miku Yanagi
Miku Yanagi is a Japanese artist based in the Netherlands. Through her ongoing project, Oritatamuseum, she reconstructs museum experiences into foldable paper architectures and self-published zines, exploring memory, mobility, and access to culture.
From:
netherlands
Artist Statement
Through foldable paper works and zines, I reconstruct museum experiences and allow them to circulate beyond museum walls. Inspired by living between Japan and the Netherlands, my practice explores memory, distance, and new ways of sharing cultural experiences.
Tell us about yourself and your artistic background.
I am a Japanese artist based in the Netherlands. I studied art and cultural practices in Japan and obtained a museum curator qualification. I have long been interested in museums, books, and cultural practices. Living abroad changed the way I experience museums and inspired me to begin Oritatamuseum, an ongoing project that reconstructs museum visits into foldable paper architectures and self-published zines.
How would you describe your artistic practice?
My practice combines paper, photography, printed fragments, and self-publishing. I transform memories of museum visits into small foldable structures and circulate them through zines. I think of the work as a way of carrying museum experiences across distances and sharing them with people who may never have the chance to visit those places themselves.
What themes or ideas are most important in your work?
Reconstruction and memory are central to my work. I am interested in how museum visits can be reimagined and shared through personal interpretation rather than simple documentation. Instead of relying on photographs or videos alone, I reconstruct fragments of exhibitions to express how I experienced them and what stayed with me afterwards.
What inspires your creative process?
Museums, exhibition design, books, maps, and printed materials collected during my visits. I am also inspired by the experience of living between Japan and the Netherlands.
Can you tell us about a recent artwork or project?
Oritatamuseum is an ongoing project that reconstructs existing museums into foldable paper architectures. The name combines the Japanese word ori (to fold) with the idea of a museum. Alongside the paper works, I produce zines that circulate through zine shops, minibiebs, and small museums in Amsterdam.
What challenges have influenced your development as an artist?
Before moving to the Netherlands, many of european artworks I was interested in existed only through books and the internet. Even when famous paintings traveled to Japan, I found that seeing them in temporary exhibitions felt very different from encountering them in their original museum context. I realized that a museum experience is shaped not only by the artworks themselves, but also by the building, the display, the atmosphere, and sometimes even the crowds. These experiences led me to think about how museum visits could be remembered, reconstructed, and shared in other forms.
What role does art play in your life today?
Art is closely connected to my everyday life. Visiting museums, making paper works, producing zines, and meeting people through these activities have become part of how I understand and connect with the world.
What are you currently working on?
New Oritatamuseum works
Expanding the Zine Drop Map
What are your future goals as an artist?
My dream is to collaborate with museums and cultural institutions and create projects that connect exhibitions, publishing, and everyday encounters. I hope Oritatamuseum can continue traveling and reaching new audiences through collaborations and exhibitions.
Where can readers follow your work?
Readers can follow Oritatamuseum on Instagram (@oritatamuseum) and occasionally encounter its self-published zines in zine shops, minibiebs, and small museums in Amsterdam.
