BERLIN.- A new art exhibition, “Dispersion,” is coming to the Galerie im Tempelhof Museum, offering a deeply personal look into the search for identity and belonging. The show features the work of artist Wataru Murakami, who grew up in Canada and the U.S. after being born in Japan. His unique life experience is at the heart of this exhibition, which opens on Thursday, September 4th, at 7 PM.

Murakami’s work, which includes photographs, focuses on a concept he calls "dispersion." The artist uses this term to describe the social and cultural scattering he has experienced and the inner emotional turmoil that comes with it. As someone who grew up in a different culture than his parents, Murakami uses his art to explore the idea of a hybrid cultural identity. His work seeks to answer a question many of us have faced: “Where are you from?”

The exhibition takes visitors on a visual journey through deserted urban spaces, focusing on small details and subtle signs of movement. Murakami returns to places that once felt like home, using his camera to bridge the gap between memory and the present. He believes that by paying attention to often-overlooked details, he can gain a new perspective on familiar scenes.

However, the journey doesn't stop there. Murakami reworks his photos, adding layers of paint and fragmentation to heighten the sense of dispersal. This process is almost meditative, as he physically interacts with his images. He intentionally hides or highlights certain elements to show that our perception of the world is shaped by our memories, experiences, and cultural backgrounds—it’s never truly neutral. Each new version of a photo is like a page from a visual diary, documenting his ongoing search for what’s hidden beneath the surface.

"Dispersion" is a testament to the universal desire for a clear sense of self and belonging in an increasingly fragmented world. It reminds us that our personal experiences and conditioning are an inseparable part of how we see and understand the world.

A special Artist Talk with Wataru Murakami and the exhibition's curator, Rossella Scrascia, is scheduled for Saturday, November 22nd, at 4 PM.

Born in 1983 in Matsuyama, Japan, Wataru Murakami has lived and worked in Berlin since 2017. He studied humanities at Sophia University in Tokyo and later photography and media art at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design. His works have been exhibited internationally, including at the Ehime Museum of Art (2025) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (2023). He has received numerous awards, including the Haus am Kleistpark Photography Grant (2023) and the INITIAL Special Scholarship from the Akademie der Künste Berlin (2021).