MASK (Mega Art Storage Kitakagaya)

After a series of high-profile exhibitions at Tokyo’s Ginza Six and Saitama’s Hyper Museum Hanno, Kenji Yanobe is bringing his signature cat-astronauts, known as Ship’s Cat, to Osaka. Born in Osaka, Kenji Yanobe is known for his functional mechanical sculptures. Ship’s Cat, arguably his most popular work to date, is an ongoing series that began in 2017. These regal ‘catstronauts’ are imagined as guardian spirits for travellers. One edition, Ship’s Cat (Muse), now stands outside the Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka as a permanent installation. Held at MASK (Mega Art Storage Kitakagaya), a repurposed art warehouse formerly used for steel processing, this exhibition revolves around Luca, the solar tower-shaped spaceship first seen in the now-concluded Big Cat Bang exhibition at Ginza Six. It’s displayed alongside other sculptures from the Ship’s Cat series, as well as works by other artists from MASK’s collection. The exhibition is free, except for the opening event (Saturday October 4, 7pm–8.30pm), which features a talk by Yanobe himself and live performances. Advance tickets are available via Peatix for ¥2,000.