Tadasu Takamine "Too Far To See"

Yokohama Museum of Art

Finished

Artists

Tadasu Takamine

Takamine has exhibited works not only in two- and three-dimensions and in video, but also in installation, performance, and productions making free use of a wide range of media, including sound, images, and computer-controlled mechanisms. Using various forms of expression, he has continuously exhibited works with a strong message. Due to his many entries in international exhibitions such as the 2003 Venice Biennale and the Busan Biennale in 2004, he has gained much international acclaim.

In a very large space resembling a theater at the second Yokohama Triennale in 2005, he presented a video installation entitled Kagoshima Esperanto, in which the shapes of words from the dialect of his native Kagoshima Prefecture and words from Esperanto were pressed into images and soil. This work in a combination of light, sound, and artistic objects garnered much attention.

Takamine's work is often inspired by the absurdity of society. A criticism of globalism’s US-centric progress is abstractly expressed in "God Bless America", in which people grapple with large masses of clay. Drawing on his personal romantic relationship, "Baby Insa-dong" (2004) touches on issues related to discrimination against foreign residents in Japan. "Good House, Nice Body" (2010) raises awareness about the decline in traditional housing architecture due to the spread of prefabrication. These works draw our attention to the latent contradictions and illogical aspects of human beings, foregrounded in critical works of art that also contain abundant humor.

In this exhibition, he will show not only his recent projects, but also a new body of work that he will produce in Yokohama.

[Image: "God Bless America" (2002) video, 8'18"]

Schedule

Jan 21 (Fri) 2011-Mar 21 (Mon) 2011