Yu Araki, Bivalvia: Act I (2017), HD video, colour, sound, 20:00. Courtesy the artist and MUJIN-TO Production.

The desire to understand the origins of ideas, histories and objects runs as a connecting thread through artist Yu Araki’s work. Layered with ornate footage, rich soundscapes and references to art historical vanitas painting, the legend of St. Jacob and French phonetics, Bivalvia: Part 1, is a lingering exploration of love and tragedy tied together through the metaphor of the marine mollusc, from which the title takes its name.