KONNICHIWA, TEESSIDE!
Two exhibitions connect Fukuoka, Japan and Teesside at The Auxiliary this autumn, proudly supported by Turner on Tees.
aoisimon: COMIC WORLDS
コミックワールド
15-31 October 2026
Stuart Langley: POLISHING TURDS
うんこ磨き
5-21 November 2026
The Auxiliary, Middlesbrough
This autumn, Teesside says konnichiwa to Fukuoka as The Auxiliary presents two exhibitions celebrating a growing creative exchange between Teesside and Northern Kyushu, Japan. Opening on 15 October, COMIC WORLDS brings the work of Fukuoka-based artist aoisimon to Middlesbrough. The exhibition follows a growing international exhibition history for the Japanese artist, whose work has previously been shown in New York, Singapore, Tokyo and Taiwan, most recently at TAT ART SPACE in Bali, Indonesia, in September 2026.
Running until 31 October, COMIC WORLDS brings aoisimon’s distinctive universe of aliens, characters and imagined worlds to Teesside, continuing a practice shaped by travel, encounters with unfamiliar places and the friendships that emerge from them.
It is followed on 5 November by POLISHING TURDS, a solo exhibition by Teesside artist Stuart Langley, bringing work developed through his recent period living, working and exhibiting in Japan back to Middlesbrough. The exhibitions grow from relationships Langley has developed within Fukuoka’s independent art scene, particularly with OVERGROUND, a project space for art & culture in Fukuoka Japan, where Langley first presented Polishing Turds in March 2026. Rather than a one-off international project, Konnichiwa, Teesside! is part of an evolving two-way relationship - artists, ideas and experiences moving between Fukuoka and Teesside.
“The similarities between Fukuoka prefecture and Teesside are incredible. Steel, mining, ports and heavy industry have shaped the landscapes and identities of these places, and all have experienced huge periods of change. But it goes beyond their industrial histories. There’s a similarly rare magic being mined in both places - people taking what’s already there, however overlooked or imperfect, and turning it into something exciting. I hope to collectively build something lasting between these places.” Stuart Langley
Polishing Turds brings together Langley’s colourful and playful approach to installation, transforming everyday, overlooked and sometimes deliberately ridiculous objects, materials and language. Beneath the humour is an interest in optimism, cultural misunderstanding and the possibility of finding beauty and value in unlikely places.
For COMIC WORLDS, the direction of travel is reversed, with aoisimon bringing his practice from Fukuoka to Middlesbrough. For aoisimon, travelling internationally is not simply a way of exhibiting his work - it feeds directly into the work itself. His aliens often arrive somewhere as outsiders in strange new worlds, before encounters and shared experiences transform those strangers into friends.
“Travelling to unfamiliar places is really important to my work. My aliens arrive somewhere new as strangers, but through meeting people and experiencing that place, they can become friends. Coming from Fukuoka to Teesside feels like another new world to explore - and maybe another place for aliens to make friends.” aoisimon
Turner on Tees is a major programme of exhibitions and creative activity taking place across the Tees Valley from July 2026 to early 2027 alongside Turner Prize 2026 at MIMA, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.
Celebrating the region's extraordinary creativity, Turner on Tees brings together cultural organisations, artists and communities from across the Tees Valley. Programme partners include Hartlepool Art Gallery, Redcar Palace, Darlington Library Gallery, ARC in Stockton-on-Tees, The Auxiliary and MIMA in Middlesbrough, with additional exhibitions and activities at Preston Park Museum & Grounds and the Dorman Museum. The programme includes projects developed and curated by partner organisations, alongside contributions from MIMA, Tees Valley Arts, Creative Darlington and Black Creatives & Arts Network (BCAN).
For full programme details and event listings, visit: https://mima.art/project/turner-on-tees/ Turner on Tees is kindly funded by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
The opening reception is kindly sponsored by Yoichi Nakamuta, OVERGROUND Fukuoka.
📍 The Auxiliary, 31 Station Street, TS1 1SR, Middlesbrough
🥂 Opening Reception: Thursday 15 October, 6pm
🗓 Thurs 15 Oct - Sat 31 Oct
⏰ 12:00pm - 4:00pm (Wednesday - Saturday)