MA The Space in Between

Ma (間) is a Japanese concept that expresses the idea of “space” or “interval” between two elements, whether physical or conceptual. Deeply rooted in Japanese culture, it blends aesthetics and philosophy, finding application in both art and everyday life. Traditionally, it is represented by an imaginary room suspended between the sky and the earth, in an undefined space. Inspired by Pine Trees by Tohaku Hasegawa (16th century), where a few brushstrokes depict pines immersed in emptiness, Casper Faassen finds Ma in the space between the trees—not as absence, but as an essential part of the composition. Emptiness does not subtract; it completes. It is the same inner space that, from an abyss, becomes a refuge, a place of self-discovery and preservation. Alongside the artworks, in a box-shaped installation where space and time seem suspended, Japanese dancer Madoka Kariya moves with fluid, harmonious gestures, evoking trees swaying in the wind. Glass separates her, yet at the same time defines her space. Accompanying her live is composer Cesare Picco, a sensitive artist deeply attuned to nature. Casper invites us to rethink emptiness—not as isolation, but as a creative opportunity—taking inspiration from trees: rooted, connected, and in constant dialogue with the space around them.