Simon Fujiwara

Born in 1982 in London, United Kingdom. Lives and works in Berlin.

Exhibition view: Simon Fujiwara, Once Upon a Who?, Esther Schipper, Berlin, 2022. Photo © Andrea Rossetti

Introduction

At the core of the work of British/Japanese artist Simon Fujiwara is a question - what does it mean to be a ‘Self’ in the 21st century? With humour, inventiveness, delight and rigor, his works reflect on existential quandaries such as: how should one construct a self today? How has technology altered our identities? Is there such thing as an authentic ‘me’?

Full biography

Selected works

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Gallery Exhibitions

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External Exhibitions

Dreams of an Owl, Who the Bær and the Wounded Planet

Simon Fujiwara

From November 30, 2024 to February 23, 2025, the Kunsthalle Bielefeld is presenting the exhibition “Dreams of an Owl, Who the Bær and the Wounded Planet”, which reorganizes the Kunsthalle’s collection and...

November 30, 2024—February 23, 2025

Kunsthalle Bielefeld

It's a Small World

Simon Fujiwara

What does it mean to be a “self” in the 21st century? This is the question at the core of British-Japanese artist Simon Fujiwara’s work. His exhibition It’s a Small World features key works from the full span of the...

March 1—October 13, 2024

Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki

Boogie Woogie Art Museum

With Simon Fujiwara

The exhibition includes works by Simon Fujiwara.

June 8—September 9, 2023

Ulsan Art Museum, Ulsan

a cardboard animatronic bear in a colorful gallery space in Tokyo

Who the Bær

Simon Fujiwara

In Tokyo, Prada presents Simon Fujiwara’s exhibition Who the Bær – a new especially conceived version of the show presented for the first time at Fondazione Prada’s Milan venue in 2020.

October 15, 2022—January 30, 2023

Prada Aoyama

LOVELOVELOVE Biennial of Moving Images, Beijing

With Simon Fujiwara and Tao Hui

U2 by UCCA, in partnership with Centre D'art Contemporain Genève, present a large-scale biennale project in Beijing – LOVELOVELOVE Biennial of Moving Images, Beijing.

July 7—December 25, 2022

U2 by UCCA, Beijing

G2 Schaulager

With Simon Fujiwara and General Idea

After seven years of realizing exhibitions with residential and international artists we will open a new floor in the same building of G2 Kunsthalle.

July 3, 2022—January 15, 2023

G2 Kunsthalle, Leipzig

Hello Who?

Simon Fujiwara, presented by CIRCA

In a new stop-motion animation by Simon Fujiwara, viewers are invited to follow Who the Bær - the cartoon protagonist - on their quest for identity and belonging.

April 1 – 30, 2022

Berlin, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Melbourne, New York, Seoul and Tokyo

new work

Simon Fujiwara

For his first solo exhibition in the Netherlands, the artist presents works from his most recent project Who the Bær. Developed during the lockdown in the spring of 2020, Fujiwara created a...

June 9—September 12, 2021

Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam

Who the Bær

Simon Fujiwara

For this new site-specific project conceived for the ground floor of the Podium in the Milan premises of Fondazione Prada, Simon Fujiwara introduces audiences to the world of Who the Bær, an...

April 29—September 27, 2021

Fondazione Prada, Milan

Hope House

Simon Fujiwara

Simon Fujiwara de-constructs the wistful human desire that underpins tourist attractions, historical icons, celebrities, “edutainment,” and neo-capitalism. In this seductive, if no less fraught arena, his work reveals the paradox of our...

October 31, 2020—March 13, 2021

Blaffer Art Museum, Houston

Manual Override

with Simon Fujiwara

Manual Override presents Simon Fujiwara's multi-sensory Empathy I. Developed in close collaboration with a company that produces theme park rides, Empathy I is a 5d simulator that was inspired by the artist’s...

November 13, 2019—January 12, 2020

The Shed, New York

Joanne

Simon Fujiwara

Over the past decade, Simon Fujiwara has become known for his staging of large, complex exhibitions that explore the deeply rooted mechanisms of identity construction for both individuals and societies. From August...

August 31, 2019—February 2, 2020

ARKEN Museum of Modern Art, Ishøj

Preis der Nationalgalerie. Shortlist exhibition of the four nominated artists 2019

with Simon Fujiwara

In March this year, Simon Fujiwara was shortlisted for the Preis der Nationalgalerie 2019, together with Pauline Curnier Jardin, Flaka Haliti and Katja Novitskova. The museum prize is awarded every two years...

August 16, 2019—February 16, 2020

Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin

Intimate distance. Masterpieces from the Ishikawa Collection

with Simon Fujiwara, Ryan Gander, Liam Gillick, Pierre Huyghe and Anri Sala

Coinciding with the inauguration of the Hôtel des Collections on June 29, 2019, the MO.CO. unveils the first public presentation of masterpieces from the Ishikawa Collection. This outstanding and relatively recent private...

June 29—September 29, 2019

MO.CO. – Montpellier Contemporain, Hôtel des Collections, Montpellier

Is This Tomorrow?

with Simon Fujiwara

In an era when humanity is facing new challenges posed by big data, bioengineering and climate change, Whitechapel Gallery has invited ten groups of artists, architects and other cultural practitioners, including Simon...

February 14—May 12, 2019

Whitechapel Gallery, London

Revolution

Simon Fujiwara

Simon Fujiwara’s Revolution presented at Lafayette Anticipations is the artist's first major solo exhibition in France. Conceived in dialogue with the Fondation’s newly renovated building, Revolution brings together large-scale works and installations,...

October 14, 2018—January 6, 2019

Lafayette Anticipations, Paris

The Soul of the Soulless

Simon Fujiwara

Owing to Edouard Malingue Gallery's great commitment, Condo will finally come to Shanghai in July 2018. “Condo”—taken from “Condominium” (com “together” and dominium “right of ownership”, referring to a territory formally shared...

July 7—August 26, 2018

Condo Shanghai: Edouard Malingue Gallery

Joanne

Simon Fujiwara

'I feel like I’m cheating if I say: I am a model, I am a teacher, I am a lover, I am an artist, I am a chameleon, I am a fighter…...

April 21—May 26, 2018

Galerie Wedding, Berlin

Hope House

Simon Fujiwara

Hope House is a full-scale replica of the Anne Frank House Museum reconstructed within the Kunsthaus Bregenz. A building within a building, a museum within a museum, the ambitious installation takes its...

January 27—April 8, 2018

Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz

Campaign

Simon Fujiwara

April 21, 2017—January 7, 2018

KUB Billboards, Kunsthaus Bregenz

Development

Simon Fujiwara

Okayama Art Summit 2016 was the first edition of a new triennial contemporary art exhibition to be held in Okayama, Japan. It featured 31 important contemporary artists. The artistic director of this...

October 9—November 27, 2016

Okayama Art Summit, Okayama

The Happy Museum

Simon Fujiwara

June 4—September 18, 2016

Berlin Biennale 9, Berlin

British Art Show 8

with Simon Fujiwara

February 13—May 8, 2016

Inverleith House, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

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Films

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Simon Fujiwara on his latest work Who vs Who vs Who?, 2023

At Art Basel 2023

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Once Upon a Who?

Simon Fujiwara

A large-scale immersive exhibition, Once Upon a Who? highlights the multifaceted development of, which Simon Fujiwara. (This link opens in a new tab). created in Spring 2020 and first presented at the Fondazione Prada in Milan in summer of that year. Staged within an exhibition design resembling a museum with different rooms devoted to different chapters of their development, visitors encounter Who the Bær. (This link opens in a new tab).: a bear that seemingly has no race, gender, sexuality or nationality. ⁠

Simon Fujiwara

Introduction

Selected works

Gallery Exhibitions

Once Upon a Who?

External Exhibitions

Dreams of an Owl, Who the Bær and the Wounded Planet

Featured stories

60 years of "Unikko" : How a flower print conquered the world

The 10 best booths at Paris+ par Art Basel

LEAP Society Benefit Auction

Simon Fujiwara, Pierre Huyghe and Daniel Steegmann Mangrané featured in CURA. 40 Manifesto

Letter from Berlin

Simon Fujiwara and Who the Bær in collaboration with CIRCA

Final Week – Simon Fujiwara Simon Fujiwara, Once Upon a Who? at Esther Schipper

Simon Fujiwara, Once Upon a Who? at Esther Schipper

Simon Fujiwara and Highsnobiety in Miami

Simon Fujiwara – Biennale de l’Image en Mouvement 2021

Who’s Online! An online experience from Simon Fujiwara

Simon Fujiwara, Who the Bær - Online Viewing Room

Spotlight: Simon Fujiwara

Simon Fujiwara at AMTSALON Berlin

Simon Fujiwara – Kunstinstituut Melly, Rotterdam

Simon Fujiwara – Fondazione Prada, Milan

Artist Talk with Simon Fujiwara

Simon Fujiwara at Fondazione Prada

"The Challenge: We are in this together" – Esther Schipper for The New Institute

Art in 2020⁠ - Live Broadcast⁠ by Art Basel with Simon Fujiwara and Ryan Gander

State of the Arts with Simon Fujiwara

Simon Fujiwara wins Audience Award at Preis der Nationalgalerie Shortlist Exhibition 2019

Simon Fujiwara at the 16th Istanbul Biennial

Simon Fujiwara at ARKEN Museum of Modern Art

Simon Fujiwara at Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart

Simon Fujiwara, Ryan Gander, Liam Gillick, Pierre Huyghe and Anri Sala at MO.CO

Simon Fujiwara shortlisted for the 2019 Preis der Nationalgalerie

Is This Tomorrow? with Simon Fujiwara

Esther Schipper announces the representation of Simon Fujiwara

Films

Simon Fujiwara on his latest work Who vs Who vs Who?, 2023

Publications

Simon Fujiwara

Simon Fujiwara