Art Fair Tokyo 2011
at Tokyo International Forum
in the Ginza, Shimbashi area
This event has ended - (2011-07-29 - 2011-07-31)
154 people bookmarked this.
14 people recommend this.
Nuclear Memories
Back in 2009 we interviewed Paule Saviano about his work photographing survivors of the Tokyo firebombing. He has since gone on to document the atomic bomb and Dresden bombings survivors, and held exhibitions around the world for his project. Feeling eerily timely in these days of Fukushima uncertainty, his photo book From Above is now going to be published by Factory Contents at the end of July.
Art Fair Tokyo
After the original date for Japan’s biggest art event was changed due to the March 11th earthquake and its consequences, “Art Fair Tokyo” has announced its new line-up details for when it opens on July 29.
There will now be discussion events on overcoming the recent challenges through art, with scheduled speakers include Tetsuya Ozaki, Kenji Yanobe and Taro Shinoda. There are also charity programs, with art prints and specially made uchiwa fans being sold, and profits donated to the Japanese Red Cross Society. Artists participating in contributing an uchiwa include the ubiquitous Ichiro Endo.
After some cancellations from overseas venues, some new local additions to the gallery booths include hiromiyoshii, YOKOI FINE ART and nap gallery, for a total of 133 (roughly the same as the original number announced in January). However, Gallery Koyanagi, Mizuma Gallery and Wako Works of Art are among the major names still not participating, leaving some conspicuous holes in the line-up.
Little mention is made in press materials of the previously announced VIP hospitality lounge, suggesting a degree of jishuku (self-restraint) in these more pessimistic days.
The New “Real”
Before those talk events at “Art Fair Tokyo” can attempt to get to the grips with Japan’s post-3.11 dilemmas, another similarly themed discussion is taking place at Kanagawa Arts Theatre on July 2, dealing with the new realities facing artists in both visual and performing arts.
Adventurer/photographer Naoki Ishikawa and leading theatre director Toshiki Okada (chelfitsch) will join together to talk about landscapes and language in the wake of the earthquake and nuclear crisis. Ishikawa will also show photographs he took on a recent visit to the disaster zone.
For details on how to reserve a seat at the free event, see the KAAT website (Japanese only).
Hikari
If you’ve passed through Shibuya in the last few months you cannot have failed to notice the slowly rising monolith that will become the Hikarie building. Opening in spring 2012, the giant complex will contain a number of shops and eateries, offices, the new TOKYU Theatre Orb and an intriguing “urban core” section in the basement floors.
On the eighth floor there will be the aptly named Hachi (eight) space, a two-thousand metre square venue hosting a “Creative Lab”, including three art galleries for temporary exhibitions. Koyama Tomio Gallery is involved in the direction, along with designer Kenmei Nagaoka.
Comments