When New York galleries are closing, NowHere is opening. The multidisciplinary hub for creators influenced by Japanese culture first opened on Wooster Street in 2019. In 2026 it moved to a new home at 40 Lispenard Street in Tribeca. Its second show in the space is Terminal by exonemo, on view from September 10 to November 7. We spoke with Gallery Director Kentaro Totsuka about the new space, the work, and what NowHere hopes to become.

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#### A name with two meanings

NowHere was created to support Japanese artists and creators building their lives in New York. The name has a double meaning. Artists may feel they are “nowhere” in the established art world, but once their work is given a place and an audience, they are “now here.”

The original SoHo space combined a gallery, café, and community gathering place. When it was time to move, the team wanted to stay downtown. Lispenard Street offered more room for ambitious exhibitions while keeping NowHere’s welcoming atmosphere, and Tribeca’s growing art community made it the right place for the next chapter.

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#### Inside Terminal

exonemo, the duo of Kensuke Sembo and Yae Akaiwa, were the first resident artists in NowHere’s Studio Program in DUMBO, Brooklyn. The exhibition grew out of that relationship.

At the center of Terminal is a computer trying to crack its own code through random guesses. If it fails, it keeps going. If it succeeds, a suspended rock falls and destroys it.

Randomness is the exhibition’s central theme. exonemo presents it not as chaos but as something fundamental to our existence, and the work reverses our usual ideas of success and failure: failure keeps the machine alive, while success destroys it. At a time when technology is developing so quickly, those questions feel especially relevant.

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#### Why open a gallery now

>“I’m not sure there is ever a ‘right moment’ to open a gallery in New York.” - Kentaro Totsuka, Gallery Director

Totsuka believes there will always be a need for places where people can experience art in person, and where artists can present their work with confidence and care. He is also drawn to the communities that grow around galleries. Through exhibitions, the café, and other programs, NowHere wants to keep building those relationships with a steady, grounded presence in the city.

#### What visitors take away

Totsuka hopes visitors feel the tension of the suspended rock and the uncertainty of whether, or when, it might fall. He also hopes the show leads them to think about randomness as something that shapes not only technology but our lives and identities. Chance encounters and irreversible events often make us who we are, even when we like to believe everything is under our control.

#### Who it’s for

NowHere is for anyone who is curious. The gallery focuses on Japanese artists and artists connected to Japan, but it wants to reach people from every background. The café helps: someone can come in for a cup of matcha, run into an exhibition, and start a conversation without needing specialist knowledge. For the team, the gallery and café work together as a place where art and community meet.

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#### What’s next

The next exhibition features Masaaki Sato as part of the Vanguards Project. The project brings renewed attention to Japanese artists who came to New York around the 1960s and built important practices here, but whose work hasn’t always received the recognition it deserves. NowHere’s Studio Program also continues. Its current resident, Maiko Kikuchi, is developing a multidisciplinary project inspired by Japanese mythology. Through exhibitions, residencies, and publications, the team hopes to build lasting recognition for the artists it supports.

#### Visit NowHere

NowHere is at 40 Lispenard Street, Tribeca, open Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm. Follow the gallery on Instagram at @nowhere_newyork.

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NowHere reopens in Tribeca with exonemo’s Terminal. Director Kentaro Totsuka on the new space, the show, and what’s next.

NowHere Reopens in Tribeca with exonemo’s Terminal

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