Yukinori Yanagi makes large-scale, site-specific installations that address geopolitical borders, national identities, and territorial conflicts, including the imperial history of his native Japan. Yanagi uses a diverse range of media to create sculptures and installations that engage with movement and symbols of nationalism. Throughout his practice, Yanagi has explored the notion of “wandering as a permanent position.” In his works known as “ant farms,” Yanagi uses flags made of colored sand as symbols of stability while incorporating traveling ants that spread the sand from flag to flag, investigating ideas of identity, migration, and territorial conflicts.
–Tiffany Choi, from the Glenstone Field Guide