The Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum garden is currently closed. The museum remains open.

Teien

Japanese Museums with COVID-Related Closings

<img src="https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Art-Platform-Japan-3.jpg" alt="" width="257" height="288" class="imgcaption floatl" /><a href="https://artplatform.go.jp/">Art Platform Japan</a> is a new online resource for information on contemporary Japanese art. The goal of this bilingual platform developed by Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs is to help global audiences learn more about artists in Japan and their works. The site, which will continue to be expanded, currently contains information on contemporary art at 85 museums around Japan and around 70,000 items. By March 2023, the database will grow to cover more than 200 museums and 100,000 items, and more than 100 texts will have been selected for translation, to be published online as they are completed.
As much of this information was previously unavailable in English, the website opens new opportunities for global audiences to learn more about contemporary art from Japan. Currently in its beta version, the site includes a searchable <a href="https://artplatform.go.jp/resources/collections">database</a> of museum collections, <a href="https://artplatform.go.jp/resources/texts">translations</a> of books and essays on contemporary Japanese art, and <a href="https://artplatform.go.jp/programs">programs</a> such as workshops and webinars. A recent series considers contemporary art after the coronavirus. Mori Art Museum Director Mami Kataoka, who chaired the project, remarks: “I sincerely hope that, along with its continued upkeep, the website will allow access to valuable information without physical travel and will become an important foundation in maintaining contemporary Japanese art’s connection to this vast world and its long history.”

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Art Platform Japan

<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/image-2-1024x976.jpg" alt="Laforet Harajuku recently launched a creative campaign with visuals that appeared to resemble the work of an unacknowledged artist, and found itself at the heart of an online debate about ownership over creative property." title="Photo: Xin Tahara" width="600" height="488" class="imgcaption" />
“Congratulations on your new collaboration!” 
Imagine that you are an American artist who uses sticky notes in your artistic practice. You have consistently used this material, and your artworks have become quite recognizable. You have successfully completed collaborations with brands where your artwork has been reproduced on clothing, and the company that makes sticky notes has even given you some free material to support your practice. One day, you find out a well-known brand recently launched an ad campaign in the U.S. through its advertising agency that features the look and feel of your practice, using the same sticky notes. Even worse, you hear about this campaign from other people who congratulate you on your “newest brand collaboration.” Understandably, you feel angry and slighted. What should you do?
If you are the artist 
Sound familiar? It might, because unfortunately it happens way too often. So, what can or should you do? In many countries, including the U.S. and Japan, copyright provides legal rights to authors that create works. The copyright laws of various countries differ in subtle ways, but in the situation set forth above, U.S. copyright law protects fixed, tangible expression, but neither methods nor ideas. While you may be extremely frustrated that the look and feel of your practice was taken by a large, commercial entity, if the ad campaign did not wholesale copy your artwork, it may unfortunately be difficult to make a legal claim that will prevail. Moreover, in the U.S. (but not Japan), potential copyright infringers may have a legal defense called fair use. Fair use cases depend on a number of factors, including the purpose of the copying, the nature of the copyrighted work, the amount of the copyrighted work copied, and the potential effect on the copyrighted work’s market.
Note that copyright law was created before the Internet, before the digital era, and before mash-up culture. It is hard to be truly original in this age when we are constantly bombarded with images and sounds that can be manipulated, mixed, and disseminated. Further, artists—whether consciously or unconsciously—are a product of their times, with many responding to the world and contexts around them, and still others responding to inspirations they have received from other artists.
Back to the sticky note situation at hand, direct and private communication might be a good way to start in responding to the brand’s potential copyright infringement. Always consider getting legal counsel first, but, if circumstances do not allow, reach out to the brand or the ad agency and see if they would be willing to talk with you. If possible, try to be non-emotional and explain how you believe that your work may have been infringed. If the brand or the ad agency is willing to engage in a conversation, think about what your goals could be. For example, if you are convinced that your work has been infringed upon, perhaps you want a fee in exchange for an after-the-fact license. If you want to be acknowledged as an inspiration for the campaign, perhaps you can ask for some sort of public acknowledgment. If you want to work with the brand or ad agency in the future, perhaps this is a good time strategically to pitch your work, ideas and practice. If you choose to take to social media, however, be prepared for any and all sorts of comments. While there is always a chance that you will catch the attention of the brand or the ad agency through social media, there is also as much of a possibility that you will attract hurtful or negative comments. 
If you work for the brand 
On the flip side, if you work for the brand or the ad agency, and are on the receiving end of an artist claim, what can or should you do going forward? In the sticky note situation, it might be important to acknowledge with your teams that you are a group of creators, but that the artist who is making a claim is also one, too. In a moment that might pose a reputation risk to your brand or client, showing an active and committed stance on communication with other artists seriously will likely help. Further, all team members (or at least those who were directly involved in the original project) should be informed of the existence of these claims and your teams’ public responses, so that the entity can be unified in its public commentary about the situation. Going forward, while the fast pace of projects may not always allow, it also might be wise to have a check-in prior to a project going public to discuss whether the project looks similar to other artworks, and, if it was inspired by other artworks, to discuss whether it makes sense to reach out to known artists before the launch of your project.
What does it all mean? 
We live in a world mediated by technology. Technology, including tools as mundane as our camera phones, easily accessible software, and social media, allows people to create, display, and disseminate their creativity. On the other hand, the very same technology can be used to create positive or negative discussions surrounding those creative acts. We need to be reminded that technology can thus both further the creative ethos – by aiding creative output and dissemination and providing a community for positive engagement – and also provide an amplified platform for hurtful criticism. 
*This article is not meant to be taken as specific legal advice.*
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Shionoiriさん.jpeg" alt="Yayoi Shionoiri" title="Photo: Munemasa Takahashi" width="518" height="320" class="imgcaption" />
About the author: Yayoi Shionoiri serves as Executive Director to the Estate of Chris Burden and the Studio of Nancy Rubins, where she is responsible for stewarding Burden’s art historical legacy and promoting Rubins’ artistic practice. From 2015 to 2019, Yayoi served as General Counsel and Head of Asia Strategy to Artsy, with responsibility for all legal matters of the company’s global operations, advising on corporate transactions, intellectual property issues, technology start-up management and operations, and digital media strategy. From 2011 to 2015, Yayoi was the Associate General Counsel of The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, providing legal services for matters including exhibitions and non-profit operations. She received her A.B. from Harvard University (2000), her J.D. from Cornell Law School (2003), and her M.A. from Columbia University in Modern Art (2010). Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yayoi_shionoiri/?hl=ja">@yayoi_shionoiri</a>

article_19956

When Imitation is Not Flattery: Copyright Tactics in the Digital Age

Anyone who has visited the Impressionist section of the Musee D’Orsay in Paris and wanted to sit down and admire some of the masterpieces has interacted with Tokujin Yoshioka’s work. His mesmerizing Water Block glass benches have been a permanent fixture there since 2011. He also has works in the permanent exhibitions of other key institutions, such as the Honey-Pop chair at the V&A in London and MoMA in New York. 
Now those in Tokyo can enjoy Yoshioka’s “Glass Project.” This small exhibition at 21_21 Design Site Gallery 3 until 13 November provides a brief retrospective of Yoshioka’s career so far. The works begin outside with Waterfall, a table made of the world’s largest optical glass. The piece captures magical reflections of the cedar trees in Midtown Park and the Tadao Ando-designed museum. 
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Tokujin-Yoshioka-Glass-Project.jpeg" alt="Tokujin Yoshioka's 'Waterfall' (2006) outside 21_21 Design Site" title="Photo: Mac Salman" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
On entering the building, you are greeted with a 12-minute video that showcases Yoshioka’s design, beginning with Transparent Glass House (2002) and Chair That Disappears in the Rain (2002–2003), on through to his incredible Kou-An Glass Tea House (2011) and proposal for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Stadium. Yoshioka’s plan was ultimately not chosen, but incorporated Shintoistic elements and drew inspiration from the stadium’s location in the Meiji Jingu Outer Garden.
The exhibition also highlights corporate collaborations, such as the 2009 Moon Fragment bottle created for Cartier, and Stellar, a 2010 installation at the Swarovski Crystal Palace. You can see an actual example of this year’s Prism Dom Pérignon case with labels Yoshioka designed himself for the 2009 vintage. 
In that same corporate vein, the exhibition is organised by watch maker Seiko and supported by Issey Miyake Inc. This allows them the opportunity to showcase their Glass Watch, a collaboration with Yoshioka taking its place as the sixteenth in the series ‘Issey Miyake Watch Project.’ 
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Yoshioka-watches.jpg" alt="Tokujin Yoshioka's 'Glass Watch' (2017) for the Issey Miyake Watch Project" title="Photo: Mac Salman" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
Also on display are pieces showing the continual evolution of Yoshioka’s works, such as Water Block – Katana (2017), a beautiful take on the Water Block concept. The triangular form of the bench harks back to the 500 prisms he used in his 2010 masterpiece Rainbow Church. Admission to “Glass Project” is free and provides a nice aperitif before heading to <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2017/8BF9">Wild: Untamed Mind</a> next door in the Design Sight main building.

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Tokujin Yoshioka’s Glass Project

<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/cover.jpg" alt="Japanese Tattoos: History* Culture* Design by Brian Ashcraft with Hori Benny" width="257" height="341" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
As soon as you pick up Brian Ashcraft and Hori Benny’s Japanese Tattoos: History* Culture* Design</a> (Tuttle, 2016), you know you are in for a whirlwind tour of the unique world of irezumi tattoos. This book deals with a topic stigmatized in popular belief for its ties to the Japanese mafia, but which is also a bright and colorful art form packed with flora, fauna and deep symbolism. The authors explore the mysteries of these full-body and sleeve tattoos, presenting accessible and well-researched insights into the world of irezumi.
An introductory chapter reflecting on the roots of irezumi in Japanese culture provides a grounded base for a discussion of the art’s many intricacies and rules, as well as the history of training apprentices with sights set on becoming a horishi (tattoo artist). Ashcraft and Benny sum up each chapter with a profile of a practicing artist, educating the reader on the numerous approaches and entry points into irezumi while praising the yakuza’s enigmatic, underground practice that kept it afloat until it was legalized by Occupation Forces in 1948. As tattooing remains stigmatized to this day in Japan, many may be unaware of the long tradition and high level of planning and research a tattoo entails.
Irezumi are designed to be covered by clothing, changing their ideals from Western concepts of tattoos, which often serve as statements. The contents of irezumi emphasize metaphors and protection through Japanese folklore, myths and the power of nature. Furthermore, the idiosyncratic approach to designing and tattooing a body suit builds a relationship between artist and client unique to irezumi, placing further value on the individuality of the work. The book spotlights several practicing horishi working in different places in Japan, providing an objective overview of techniques, tools, and attitudes varying from city to city.
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Ch4_A_2_Hori-Benny-Invasion-Club-Osaka-Work-14.jpg" alt="Hori Benny, Invasion Club, Osaka Work" width="257" height="386" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Ch2_F1_Hori-Toshi-Bunshin-Hori-Toshi-Tokyo-Works-036.jpg" alt="Bunshin Horitoshi, Tokyo Works" width="257" height="386" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
Japanese Tattoos is a particularly solid guide for those looking to get Japanese-style tattoos or even delve into the practice themselves. Sections covering common themes in irezumi such as Japanese motifs, Chinese and Buddhist written characters, the seasons, gods, heroes and folklore function as starting points for budding irezumi enthusiasts. Through examples delving further into specific aspects of irezumi, each chapter examines fundamental motifs.
As an artisan craft with strict parameters, Japanese tattoos have their rules and universe. Through the breadth of research and interviews, this book confirms the strenuous training apprentices undertake to even be titled an irezumi artist or earn the horishi title, when they conclude their apprenticeship and embark on a lifelong dedication to research and practice. It is from here they are able to take the craft into their own hands and toward exciting new directions. 
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/CH6-Hori-Benny.jpg" alt="Hori Benny" width="257" height="418" class="imgcaption floatl" /><img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Ch6_C_3_b_Naoki-TNS-Tattoo-Osaka-Tattoo-Works020.jpg" alt="Naoki, TNS Tattoo, Osaka Tattoo Works" width="257" height="418" class="imgcaption floatl" /> 
Horishi artists approach irezumi in diverse ways as they pay respect to the craft while continuing to advance it. Modern styles are distinct from more traditional ones, and the reader learns about unique ways the artisans interpret this craft as its practice evolves. Being one of the oldest traditions of tattooing, irezumi sets a high standard that has greatly inspired tattoo artists in the West in their own practices, apprenticeships and pursuits.
Irezumi is continuing to evolve as the next generation of artists practice it today. The old traditions are not long forgotten, but pave the way for artists to pay respects to tradition and identity in their own unique and exciting approaches. Japanese Tattoos is an admirable exploration of the craft and provides a foundation for further research into the extensive universe of irezumi and its place in Japanese culture.

article_16722

The Art and Craft of Japanese Body Ink

<img class="imgcaption" title="Ippei Shinzawa Photography. Courtesy Asakusa, Tokyo." src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/a1.jpg" width="518" height="" />
A distinctive alternative art space was recently founded in down-town Tokyo in October 2015. Co-directed by Koichiro Osaka and Noriko Yamakoshi, <a href="http://www.asakusa-o.com/">Asakusa</a> is an exhibition venue dedicated to advancing curatorial collaboration and practices.
Situated in the backstreets of Asakusa – one of the most popular tourist districts in Tokyo – the space is set in a traditional house built in 1965. It was renovated by architect Kosaku Matsumoto of Blue Architects, Zurich, and Osaka himself, with help from artist and collector acquaintances.
<img class="imgcaption floatl" title="Ippei Shinzawa Photography. Courtesy Asakusa, Tokyo." src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/a3.jpg" width="320" height="" /> <img class="imgcaption floatl" title="Nobutada Omote Photography. Courtesy Asakusa, Tokyo. " src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/a2.jpg" width="338" height="226" />
 
Koichiro Osaka himself boasts an interesting background. After studying at the prestigious Waseda University, he left Japan to live in Vietnam, but ended up in Thailand for three years. He then moved to the UK and studied social policy for the first two years, and then art criticism and curation at Central Saint Martin. After spending about eight 8 years in the UK, he returned to Tokyo and took up a curatorial position at SCAI The Bathhouse. While working for one of the leading contemporary commercial galleries in Japan, Osaka aspires to further develop exhibition programs at Asakusa.
Osaka explains that the pivotal interest of Asakusa lies in expanding the art circuit to explore fields intersecting with academic research.
“Japan is not a place where the context of contemporary art was initially developed. It has its pros and cons just like anywhere else, and we’d like to take a positive view. The lack of education that informs and disseminates today’s art, the lack of public support and recognition means that we are more exposed to basic questions about what we do; what “contemporary art” is and what it is for. There is no definition of it taken for granted. I’m absolutely for the idea of pushing art’s boundaries into other academic fields to explore the potential of what art can do. I also believe that artwork has an ability to resist being reduced to the scale of academic measurements. We’d like to invite more researchers from outside the art world so we can learn more from this negotiation”.
<img class="imgcaption floatl" title="Nobutada Omote Photography. Courtesy Asakusa, Tokyo." src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/a4.jpg" width="191" height="286" /> <img class="imgcaption floatl" title="Installation view of “Yoshua Okón: In the Land of Ownership” (2016) at Asakusa. Courtesy the artist and Asakusa, Tokyo. " src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/a5.jpg" width="428" height="286" />
 
Asakusa has held six exhibitions to date, frequently collaboration with guest curators. This year, its program focuses on questions of how art can function and engage with society and the role of art versus activism. Exhibitions have included critiques of labor in “1: The Third Entity” featuring Taka Atsugi, Mikhail Karikis & Héctor Zamora, “1923 – Action, Mavo, Futurismo, DVL and others” spotlighting the avant-garde movements which appeared in the year of the Great Kanto Earthquake, discussions of territory and borders in “Yoshua Okón: In the Land of Ownership” and “Radical Democracy: Thomas Hirschhorn & Santiago Sierra” which follows the trail of Agonistic politics in art.
The current show, <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2016/0BE3">“The Right to Opacity” features the work of Pauline Boudry / Renate Lorenz </a>and positions itself in relation to queer identities and the theory of Martinique poet Édouard Glissant. Through till October 13
You can <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/author/jong_pairez">Jong Pairez’ </a>review of<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2016/09/assemblage-of-tensions-and-dissent.html"> “Radical Democracy: Thomas Hirschhorn & Santiago Sierra”  here</a>.

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Negotiating the Spaces of Contemporary Art: Asakusa

Exhibitions
It was a nervous year, with the world-wide economic crisis always lurking. But we did not see any overt signs among the line-up of exhibitions for the year.
These were strangely self-referential, with lots of over-due retrospectives or major museum shows for Japanese artists who have always seemed to be “young and up-and-coming”. Examples include Teppei Kaneuji (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/04/temples-of-bone-and-plastic.html">reviewed by Kenneth Masaki Shima</a>) and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2009/9630">Tabaimo</a> at Yokohama Museum of Art, Roji Ikeda at (the newly renovated) MOT (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/05/thresholding.html">reviewed by Cameron McKean</a>), Tomoko Konoike at Opera City (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/08/art-tripping.html">reviewed by Rebecca Milner</a>), Kohei Nawa (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/08/queasy-trinity.html">reviewed by Sophie Knight</a>) and, currently, <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2009/536B">Motohiko Odani</a>, both at Maison Hermes.
Commercial museums like Mori held many blockbuster shows, including Ai WeiWei (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/08/according-to-ai.html">reviewed by TABuzz</a>). “Bones” (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/07/inside-out.html">reviewed by Matthew Hayles</a>) was a stunning design show at 21_21 Design Sight, supervised by Shunji Yamanaka. Hara also continued producing ambitious exhibitions, with a major Jim Lambie installation (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/03/vintage-vinyl.html">reviewed by Jessica Niles DeHoff</a>) at the start of the year and a wide-reaching show looking at so-called Micropop art in Japan (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/06/micropop-imagination.html">reviewed by Mark Downing Roberts</a>).
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/accordingtowhat.jpg" alt="Mori Art Museum ‘Ai Weiwei: According to What?’ July 25 to November 8, 2009" title="Photo: Watanabe Osamu. Courtesy: Mori Art Museum" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
This was also the year that zines and print media made a big comeback in Tokyo. Zine’s Mate was a major book fair (we did a <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/07/zines-mate-opening.html">photo-report</a> on it) and later in the year there was the magazine event, “Tokyo Graphic Conference” (reviewed by <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/10/an-audience-with.html">Sophie Knight</a> and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/10/the-state-of-magazines.html">Rebecca Milner</a>).
Also making a big return were art collective Chim↑Pom, who bounced back from their Hiroshima controversy to launch a book and several shows this year (see <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/06/guerrillas-in-the-midst.html">Sophie Knight’s review </a>of the NADiff exhibition and this <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/06/chim-pom-yamamoto-gendai.html">photo-report </a>of the Yamamoto Gendai opening).
Public Art
In a city with limited space and lots of people, public art events are always sure to find an audience, often just by crowds and commuters stumbling upon it on their way somewhere. The “Roppongi Art Night” (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/04/roppongis-attempt-at-creating-an-art-space.html">reviewed by Kenneth Masaki Shima</a>) was, mercifully, free from commercial cynism despite its locale — but it also wasn’t exactly good either.
The “Natural House” workshop held in plush Ebisu was a more striking and sincere example, igniting urban residents with the hope of sustainability. We <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/05/no-place-like-home.html">interviewed</a> the founders, a British gardener and a Japanese architect.
Lastly, the current <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/12/entering-no-mans-land.html">“No Man’s Land”</a> is a bravado, unique experiment featuring over three hundred artists transforming the soon-to-be-demolished French Embassy in Hiroo.
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/no-mans-land-11.jpg" alt="Speedy Graphito covers the walls at the French Embassy" title="Photo: Katrina Grigg-Saito" width="518" height="344" class="imgcaption" />
Art Fairs
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/04/art-fair-tokyo-2009.html">“Art Fair Tokyo”</a> had growing numbers of booths and attendants, apparent proof of recession-defiance. Did it add up to interesting art in the end?
No word yet on whether “101Tokyo” will happen next year but it did take place concurrently with “Art Fair Tokyo”, at a different style of venue to its debut one. We did a <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/04/101tokyo-2009-opening-night.html">photo-report</a> on it, along with the autumn <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/11/tokyo-contemporary-art-fair-2009.html">“Tokyo Contemporary Art Fair”</a>.
Takashi Murakami’s <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/03/a-beginners-guide-to-geisai.html">“Geisai”</a> was held again at Big Sight (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/03/the-geisai-has-landed.html">Katrina Grigg-Saito covered it in a photo-report</a>), though the usual second one of the year almost didn’t happen and in the end was tucked away in a Kaikai Kiki venue in the outlying provinces. <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/05/a-beginners-guide-to-design-festa.html">“Design Festa”</a>, however, seems to be going strong.
<img class="imgcaption" title="Photo: Katrina Grigg-Saito" src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/geisai12-14.jpg" alt="Performance artist unit. maker roamed the hall creating impromptu pieces at GEISAI #12." width="518" height="344" />
New Arrivals
Mizuma opened a <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/33F93416.en">new branch at Ichigaya</a>, as we reported <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/11/news-digest-november-2-6.html">here</a>. They are to keep one of the floors of their characterful <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/65B1F00B.en">Nakameguro building</a> until it is knocked down in two years.
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/09/yuka-contemporary-opens.html">Yuka Contemporary appeared</a> in the Waseda district and Zen Foto opened as a Chinese contemporary photography space, run by the friendly Englishman Mark Pearson (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/10/a-touch-of-zen.html">interviewed here on TABlog</a>).
Gallery Alpham’s appearance has done much to cement the Bakurocho area as the new Tokyo art town (other galleries in the area include <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/83FBBC7D.en">Taro Nasu</a>, <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/51A56F7D.en">Radi-um</a> and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/FA875462">CASHI</a>). We took a <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/07/bakurocho-new-art-town.html">walk around the district</a>.
New space Vacant in Harajuku immediately established itself as a great and fun space for a wide range of events, hosting the come-back of Chim Pom and the Zine’s Mate book fair among their first months’ events.
Finally, <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/2CB01D66.en">Ohshima Fine Arts</a> moved into Kagurazaka.
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/101tokyo13.jpg" alt="Akuma no Shirushi (Devil's Sign) navigated and stumbled their way around the corridors at various points at the opening reception for 101Tokyo 2009." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="344" class="imgcaption" />
Goodbyes
The media seemed to be hit the hardest by the recession. Ping Mag stopped publishing on this day last year, and Art Cross followed soon after, despite a re-launch. ArtiT changed from a print magazine to an expanded online one, which is a step back or a step forward, depending on your outlook.
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/421FCEB2.en">TKG Daikanyama</a> closed quietly, as we <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/05/news-digest-may-25-to-29.html">reported here</a>. Gotanda Sonic also suddenly announced they were shutting down, though rumours say they are re-opening somewhere else.
We had a <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/06/its-crunch-time.html">feature</a> on TABlog in June summarizing some of the recession traits in the Tokyo art scene.
Absentees
This year saw, for various reaons, few exhibitions or artistic contributions from galleries Min Min, Nakaochiai and Aoyama/Meguro. Let’s hope we see more of them in 2010.
Movals
As the “Neoteny Japan” show (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2009/06/playground-psyche.html">reviewed by James Jack</a>) featuring Dr. Takahashi’s archive was shuttling around the country, the Takahashi Collection gallery itself closed in Kagurazaka and opened in Hibiya. (The Shirokane one too is pretty quiet these days.)
Talking of Shirokane, <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/69883021">Nanzuka Underground</a> moved into the gallery building there, making opening receptions much more fun. <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/7A0B4520.en">Zenshi</a> moved out from Kiyosumi to Iwamotocho (which is just about in the burgeoning Bakurocho area), to be joined by Yuka Sasahara next month (moving from Kagurazaka).
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/bakurocho19.jpg" alt="Zenshi, recently moved from the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa building, near Iwamotocho Station, a short walk from Akihabara." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="292" class="imgcaption" />
Cynicism
The most cynical moment of the year? So many to choose from but perhaps Yayoi Kusama’s numerous corporate collaborations, including Iida and Audi. Oh, dear.
Looking ahead
Nanzuka Underground is going to re-open its old gallery in Shibuya as a second space (which should make openings at Zen Foto livelier) and beloved Megumi Ogita Gallery is moving in January to another (hopefully larger) space in Ginza.

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Year in Review: 2009

March is a busy time of year in the Tokyo art scene. <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2013/774E">Art Fair Tokyo</a> will once again fill the vast halls of Tokyo International Forum from March 22nd until 24th, while <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2013/7C75">G-Tokyo</a>, the curated, boutique-style art fair, will be held in Tokyo Midtown the same weekend. Roppongi Art Night 2013—a festival created in cooperation with a handful of art institutions, chambers of commerce and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government—will happen on Saturday night, March 23rd, with some programs extended over the whole weekend.
Katsuhiko Hibino has been overseeing all the artistic programs for this year’s Roppongi Art Night. Hibino is an artist associated with experimental drawing and painting. His 2010 exhibition, “Why Do People Draw Pictures?,” included many works on paper the artist created while traveling around the world. It included all kinds of mark-making, including the use of sand beneath his feet in Laos and the blood of a hunted seal in Canada. Hibino has also shown works in the Echigo-Tsumari Triennial, the Biennale of Sydney and the Venice Biennale. His paper latern boats, Tohoku Koyomi no Yobune, created with warm messages to the people of Tohoku, were a part 2012’s Roppongi Art Night before traveling to the Kasshigawa River in Iwate Prefecture.
<img class="imgcaption floatl" title="Photo: Mitsuru Goto. Courtesy Roppongi Art Night Executive Committee" src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Roppongi-art-night-2013-director-e1363263952959.jpg" alt="Roppongi Art Night 2013 Artistic Director Katsuhiko Hibino" width="257" height="386" />
What vision will the artist bring to Roppongi Art Night 2013? As stated in the event’s press release, Hibino is arranging a few hands-on projects in which the director himself, plus a number of other local artists, will collaborate. The Art Boat Project will consist of a number of grounded ‘vessels’ traveling around the neighborhood. A lighthouse monument, also created by Hibino, is set to keep the crowds warm outside around the Roppongi Hills Arena with an open fire. The event’s subtitle, “TRIP－Witness today’s transformation into tomorrow,” promises a theme that includes multiple concepts surrounding time and space, centered around the progression of night into dawn.
The annual event always provides more art than anyone can handle; among the possible exhibitions and events to take in, there will be Makoto Aida’s solo exhibition and a special screening of films by Chikako Yamashiro at Mori Art Museum (open all night until 6 a.m. on Saturday night), an interactive display for ‘adults with a playful side’ at Tokyo Midtown (open until 5:30 a.m.), “Kabuki: Theaters During the Edo Period” at Suntory (until midnight), PechaKucha events and exhibition at 21_21 Design Site (exhibition open until midnight), and “Artist File 2013” at the NACT (until 10 p.m.). Outside of the main buildings, Art Port Roppongi will be found in a number of surrounding shops and restaurants. Audiences can try their luck at exploring some streets and finding installation, moving image, sculpture or performance works along their path. With so many options, everyone’s experience of the festival is bound to be unique.

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No Rest for the Artistic

Here’s something to chew over: Australian artist Courtney Coombs is coming to Tokyo in November to host a short series of events based on LEVEL art collective’s ongoing project, “Food For Thought”. The events, which have been previously held in the Australian cities of Brisbane and Melbourne, combine social activism with art.
<img class="imgcaption" title="Photo: ©Pia Johnson. Courtesy of LEVEL." src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/foodforthought_courtneycoombs.jpg" alt="'Food For Thought' in Melbourne 2012" width="518" height="352" />
The concept is inspired by Judy Chicago’s iconic artwork, ‘The Dinner Party’ (1974-79), a sculpture that symbolically set a place at the table for women and sparked debate among the art world.
Tokyo women (yes, only women) are invited to participate by sharing a meal and talking about feminism and art. With the help of an interpreter, discussions will be held in both Japanese and English. The free events are held in groups of 12, with no spectators, to encourage casual, free expression among participants.
Due to the limited number of participants, reservations are essential. Contact: foodforthoughttokyo(at)gmail.com
Friday November 16 19:00-21:00 at <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/68607A4C.en">Roji to</a><a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/68607A4C.en"> Hito</a>, Jimbocho 
Saturday November 17 13:00-15:00 at Yoyogi Park, Jingumae 
Sunday November 18 13:00-15:00 at Yoyogi Park, Jingumae

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Bringing the Party to Tokyo

<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.ja/author/intern">Tokyo Art Beat’s interns</a> conducted a survey earlier this year of its users, hoping to glean information not just about the people who visit the website or use the <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/apps">apps</a> or <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/resources/doc/artmap">Art Map</a>, but also about the Tokyo art world in general.
The survey was kindly answered by 764 users, of which 239 were male and 525 were female.
Here’s a brief summary of the top results: 
– Female users outnumber male ones (as you might have guessed from the breakdown above of the respondents) 
– …and tend to be aged from their mid- to late twenties 
– …who visit art events two or three times a month 
– Favourite galleries and museums are the <a href="http://www.benesse-artsite.jp/en/teshima-artmuseum/index.html">Teshima Art Museum</a> (on Naoshima), <a href="http://www.kanazawa21.jp/en/">21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa</a>, <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/F994A9B7.en">21_21 Design Sight</a>, and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/4A4AABB8">Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo</a> 
– The mobile phone of choice is the iPhone 
– Users are typically company employees or public servants, or doing something in the creative industries 
– And their preferred art event genres are painting, installations, photography or media art
<img class="imgcaption" src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/tab-survey1.jpeg" alt="" width="700" height="" />
Art-lovers are single!
So it seems in Tokyo at any rate. No doubt partly because art event visitor demographics often skewer younger, 82.2% of the survey respondents said they were single and, surprisingly, over 60% also said that they visit events on their own. (Phew, I’m not the only one! Literally.) In other words, Tokyo’s galleries might just be perfect places to find that special person!
Or are they? Only around 10% of respondents said that they go to events to meet new people. Over 90% said, as you’d expect, they went out of curiosity about an event, or due to work or to learn something new. And a mere 2% said they went in order to spend time with friends, family or lovers. Going to see an exhibition is apparently not a good date! (However, the top reasons for going to art event opening receptions or art talks was answered as in order to meet new people.)
<img class="imgcaption" src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/tab-survey2.jpeg" alt="" width="700" />
Sharing Impressions
Word of mouth and buzz are surely one of the top ways to attract visitors to a show that doesn’t have the mega advertising budget of events like the Yokohama Triennale. How are visitors sharing their impressions of events? Over 73% said they did it over Twitter — almost the same as who said they did it directly with other people. Also, around the same amount of users posted things on their own blogs (25.2%) as on Facebook, mixi or other SNS (29.4%), so it seems that tweeting is the digital platform of choice for TAB users by far.
<img class="imgcaption" src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/tab-survey3.jpeg" alt="" width="700" />
Artistic Influences
Sometimes getting to a gallery or museum in Tokyo is a real pain, in spite of the city’s superb transport system. Venues can be tucked away or far from stations, so what motivates or influences people to make that special effort to go to an exhibition? Practical factors like ticket price, or location or opening hours?
The most influential factor by far (78.6%) is whether there will be exhibits at the show from an artist users. This does not mean that people are completely shying away from things they are not already familiar with: over 50% said that the overall theme of the exhibition also influenced their decision to head out.
You can view the original version of this article in Japanese on TABlog JP (parts <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.ja/2011/10/todays-art-01.html">one</a>, <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.ja/2011/11/todays-art-02.html">two</a> and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.ja/2011/12/todays-art-03.html">three</a>), where the results are digested in more detail.
Illustrations by Ayaka Sugiyama.

TAB Survey Results: Who are Tokyo’s art-lovers?

Event changes
Almost immediately, as we reported on <a href="http://twitter.com/TokyoArtBeat_EN">our Twitter feed</a>, a lot of major galleries and museums closed the day after the Tohoku-Kanto earthquake and tsunami hit. This was partly for safety as aftershocks continued and sometimes to repair damage. The uncertainty we have seen in some food supplies, (largely unfounded) radiation fears and the urgent need to conserve energy also led to large numbers of venues — possibly a majority of galleries — closing for most of the week following the earthquake.
Many have reopened since yesterday (Monday, March 21), especially commercial galleries, but some events have even been permanently cancelled or postponed, including most notably the annual large-scale extravaganza that is <a href="http://www.roppongiartnight.com/en/outline/index.html">“Roppongi Art Night”</a>. “Cloud Cities” by Tomas Saraceno at Maison Hermès has been postponed until further notice.
<del datetime="2011-03-22T09:27:32+00:00">At time of writing, however, “Art Fair Tokyo 2011”, the biggest event in the local art calendar, is set to go ahead as planned from the start of April.</del> *UPDATE: It has <a href="http://www.artfairtokyo.com/new/1896.html">now been announced</a> that “Art Fair Tokyo” is postponed! Currently it is re-scheduled for July 29 to 31.* This was due to the unavailability of the venue, Tokyo International Forum, as refugees are using it for shelter.
Galleries such as Yukari Contemporary have decided to hold exhibitions without reception parties and also not to have any events through the summer, in order to save electricity on air-conditioning during the humid season.
Wako Works of Art changed its exhibition plans and instead poignantly held Noritoshi Hirakawa’s <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2011/AEB4">“In Reminiscence of the Sea”</a>, a series of photographs that feature nuclear power plants.
<a href="http://artgigtokyo.com/">“ArtGigTokyo”</a>, the twelve-hour performance art and music event in Shinjuku, will now be held on May 8.
Charitable efforts
The biggest announced response from a major gallery so far has been <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/DD74E81F">Taka Ishii Gallery</a>‘s decision to hold a special exhibition from March 20 to April 28. The <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2011/60E6">“No Art” show</a> will, as the title suggests, feature no works of art on display but just a donation box for visitors to give money to the Japanese Red Cross Society. The planned Marijke van Warmerdam solo exhibition has been postponed.
Art writer Kiki Kudo led the way here, setting up a charity auction in Bakurocho on March 19. <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/67122B49.en">Zen Foto Gallery</a> and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/89223242">Tobin Ohashi Gallery</a> have both organized separate charity sales, and many rental galleries have responded by offering donations for works sold. Likewise, until the end of March all sales of the book <a href="http://artspacetokyo.com/">Art Space Tokyo</a> were donated to relief efforts.
Architect Shigeru Ban has also announced that he plans to <a href="http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/SBA_NEWS/SBA_news_5.htm">contribute partitions</a> for refugees at evacuation centres in the afflicted areas, much as he helped victims of the Kobe Hanshin earthquake in 1995. He is now collecting donations for this project.
Spiral hosted a mini art fair called “Power of Art” (April 5 to 20), with dozens of works for sale priced between 100 yen and over 200 thousand. There were also free dance performances and talk events on many days, with audiences encouraged to make donations in lieu of paying for tickets.
Galleries in Kiyosumi helped organize the <a href="http://www.kiyosumicomplex.com/">“Silent Art Auction”</a> (April), a non-competitive bidding auction. Works were also on display at Tomio Koyama Gallery in the Kiyosumi Complex and you could bid in person or through the website. Auctioned artworks included those by Kishin Shinoyama, Tomoko Yoneda, Yoko Ono and Mika Ninagawa. It raised 38.5 million yen, donated to <a href="http://www.japanplatform.org/">Japan Platform</a>.
Over the same weekend in April the Mori Art Museum had its own <a href="http://www.mori.art.museum/jp/press-re/pdf/2011_20110407_e.pdf">Charity Art Sale</a> involving over twenty artists from around the world.
This is still an evolving situation; this article will be updated but also check <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/TokyoArtBeat_EN">TAB’s tweets</a> for the latest news as it emerges.

Tohoku-Kanto Earthquake and Tokyo Art World

Looking for a place to get dressed up and scared with an artist twist? Look no further than “ArtGigTokyo2”!
Following <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2011/05/sex-shinjuku-art-gig-tokyo-1.html">the first installment</a>, subtitled “Dirty! Dirty! Sex! Sex!” in Shinjuku’s Ni-chome earlier this year, the next event in this public art series is happening on October 30 at an abandoned hospital in Hatsudai, central Tokyo.
Themed “Mummy, I am SCARRRED!” the event will be held in darkness so bring a flashlight unless you really want to experience lots of surprises. It’s free to get in and will also feature a raffle with prizes from TAB and others. The fun starts at noon and goes on until midnight!
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/art-gig-tokyo-2-jack-mclean-sad-clown.jpg" alt="Jack McLean, 'Sad-Clown and The Lovely Assistant' (2011)
Photo: Jon Ellis" title="(c) Jack McLean
Courtesy of ArtGigTokyo" width="518" height="345" class="imgcaption" />
There will be installations, performance art and stage performances by some fifteen international artists, hidden around the location’s decaying basement rooms, walls, CT scan room, kitchen and even the crematorium. The organizers have promised a “creepy and surreal” experience. Participants include: Satoru Aoyama, Jack McLean, Jim Lambie, Ken Kagami, Chim Pom, and Dennis Da Silva + Ronnie West.
There is also a Polaroid costume competition so visitors are encouraged to go dressed up. Whether you will be able to see each other’s outlandish costumes is another question altogether!
If you are into haikyo or urban ruin then this might well be the event you always dreamed about (though possibly only in your nightmares!).
ArtGigTokyo2: “Mummy, I am SCARRRED!” 
October 30 (Sunday) 
12:00-24:00 
Location: Tamai Hospital, 1-4-1 Honmachi Shibuya-ku 
<a href="http://www.artgigtokyo.com">www.artgigtokyo.com</a>

ArtGigTokyo2: Tokyo’s Halloween art happening

Galleries
The year started with Megumi Ogita moving to a much larger <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/B926470D.en">basement space</a> on the edge of Ginza. Thankfully they kept their characterful closet-sized gallery as a <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/094E4C73">showcase</a> for younger artists.
Meanwhile, the newly re-named <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/89223242">Tobin Ohashi Gallery</a> headed to Bakurocho, keeping with the trend of things in Tokyo moving eastwards.
Misa Shin stepped down from heading Art Fair Tokyo and opened her new eponymous gallery in Shirokane, a stone’s throw from the Yamamoto Gendai and Nanzuka Underground building. Her inaugural exhibition was a <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/11/misa-shin-gallery-opens.html">glitzy Ai Weiwei installation</a>.
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/11/misa-shin-gallery-opens.html"><img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ai-wei-wei-misa-shin-gallery-7.jpg" alt="Ai Weiwei, 'Cube Light' at Misa Shin Gallery." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" /></a>
The other major new venue was <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/87DE7941.en">3331 Arts Chiyoda</a>, opening as a permanent arts community centre, also in the east of Tokyo. The place was famously the site of <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2008/04/101tokyo-contemporary-art-fair-launches.html">101Tokyo’s first edition</a> and is a former school building. It now hosts multiple micro shows in each of the classrooms and the occasional large-scale event.
It wasn’t all good news, though; like last year we had some closures. These included <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/03/art-jam-contemporary-closing-party.html">Art Jam</a> and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/619091A5.en">magical, artroom</a> at the start of 2010, and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/0CC28BD0">Nakaochiai</a> more recently.
Exhibitions
What to say of a whole twelve months of shows?
Some of the highlights of the calendar include a blockbuster at Mori, “Sensing Nature” (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/09/sensing-nature.html">photo report</a> by Maurizio Mucciola), and some hits for <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/archive/venue/4353A332">SCAI the Bathhouse</a> were a solo show by Kohei Nawa (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/09/kohei-nawa-opening-at-scai-the-bathhouse.html">photo report</a> by Maurizio Mucciola), major international artists like William Egglestone, Anish Kapoor and Apichatpong Weerasethakul, as well as a comeback for Tatsuo Miyajima.
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/09/sensing-nature.html"><img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/sensing-nature-mori-2.jpg" alt="Tokujin Yoshioka, 'Snow' (2010, 1997)" title="Photo: Maurizio Mucciola" width="518" height="344" class="imgcaption" /></a>
Motohiko Odani continued his rise, with a <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2010/D3AB.en">new solo exhibition</a> currently at Mori and an earlier one at Maison Hermès (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/01/angels-and-demons-in-ginza.html">reviewed</a> by Sophie Knight).
Like Odani, Mika Ninagawa had two shows this year; one took over the whole of NADiff building in Ebisu (<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/05/figments-of-our-imagination.html">reviewed</a> by Alicia Tann) and another happened at <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2010/5907.en">Tomio Koyama</a> in Kiyosumi Shirakawa.
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/09/tokyo-photo-2010-opening-night.html">“Tokyo Photo 2010”</a> was a glamorous photography fair, again at Mori, while <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2010/205A">“Tokyo Art Meeting: Transformation”</a> gathered a vast array of tropes, motifs and themes to do with metamorphosis.
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/11/tokyo-transformers.html"><img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/transformation-shahzia-sikander-nemesis.jpg" alt="Shahzia Sikander, 'Nemesis' (2003)
Part of 'Tokyo Art Meeting: Transformation' at Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo." title="Courtesy: the Artist and Sikkema Jenkins & Co, New York" width="518" height="384" class="imgcaption" /></a>
Art Fairs
101Tokyo was sadly not held this year but <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/04/art-fair-tokyo-2010.html">Art Fair Tokyo</a> of course was, and attracted more visitors than ever before (though the number of exhibitors was slightly down and some major galleries did not participate). <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/08/zines-mate-2010.html">Zine’s Mate</a>, the art book fair, returned for a second year, this time at laid-back 3331.
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/04/art-fair-tokyo-2010.html"><img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/art-fair-tokyo-2010-3-tomio-koyama.jpg" alt="Tomio Koyama at 'Art Fair Tokyo 2010'. The large sculpture 'girl' (2009) by Rieko Otake is in the foreground." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="346" class="imgcaption" /></a>
A major new event appeared as well, <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/01/g-tokyo-2010-a-new-art-fair.html">G-Tokyo</a>, a select and distinctly curated art fair at Mori in Roppongi. It is also confirmed for February 2011.
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/01/g-tokyo-2010-a-new-art-fair.html"><img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/g-tokyo-12.jpg" alt="Sou Fujimoto at 'G-Tokyo'." title="Photo: Willliam Andrews" width="518" height="346" class="imgcaption" /></a>
Public Art
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/04/roppongi-art-night-2010.html">“Roppongi Art Night”</a> was held again in all its kawaii-ness, and music and art came to the summer streets of Shibuya for <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2010/05/long-live-the-republic.html">“Art Re:Public Tokyo”</a>.
My favourite example of public art this year, though, was probably the light and music installation ‘Hikari no Tokei’, at Ikebukuro’s Seibu department store.
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/15452594" width="518" height="291" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Unusual Spaces
We’ve already mentioned 3331 but even more original was the venue for the mini art fair <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2010/9CAD.en">“Art Tengoku 2010”</a>, a public bathhouse (sento). Fingers crossed something similar happens next year too!

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Year in Review: 2010

<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ai-wei-wei-misa-shin-gallery-1.jpg" alt="" title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ai-wei-wei-misa-shin-gallery-3.jpg" alt="" title="Photo: William Andrews" width="257" height="343" class="imgcaption floatl" />
Misa Shin Gallery is on the same street as the building housing Yamamoto Gendai, Nanzuka Underground and Kodama Gallery.
The first show for the new gallery is ‘Cube Light’ by Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei, who recently received buckets of press attention for his sunflower seeds work at the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, and his house arrest over his attempts to join a party protesting the closure of his Shanghai studio.
‘Cube Light’ is a large installation work: a ceiling-high grid of glass crystals and light, with the ‘scaffolding’ of the construction visible.
It is the largest example so far of Ai Weiwei’s chandelier series and the first to be shown in a cube shape. The artist was initially inspired by an image from a Sergei Eisenstein Soviet propaganda film.
On display until the end of January 2011, the exhibition also marks the Ai Weiwei’s commercial gallery solo debut in Japan.
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ai-wei-wei-misa-shin-gallery-5.jpg" alt="The exhibit occupies almost every metre of the gallery, forcing guests at the opening reception to snake around the edges." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ai-wei-wei-misa-shin-gallery-2.jpg" alt="Misa Shin chose for her new gallery an old house that was previously an ironworks factory." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ai-wei-wei-misa-shin-gallery-4.jpg" alt="The venue's age certainly shows in places." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ai-wei-wei-misa-shin-gallery-6.jpg" alt="The launch party also featured a Mercedes-Benz collaboration, with a vehicle designed by Ai Weiwei in canine motifs. It will be 'touring' the country over the next few months." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ai-wei-wei-misa-shin-gallery-7.jpg" alt="" title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="389" class="imgcaption" />

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Misa Shin Gallery Opens

Controversy is something that many if not most artists like to court. But has Takashi Murakami got more than he bargained for?
The Pop Artist with a penchant for Louis Vuitton collaborations is about to open a new exhibition of his work at the Chateau de Versailles outside of Paris from September 14 to December 12.
Though the French are well known for being Japanophiles, not everyone is happy about the show. The Versailles Defence Coordination has collected 4,387 signatures and is protesting Murakami’s art on the grounds that his works “have no place in the royal apartments.”
Meanwhile Murakami himself said, somewhat ambiguously, of his forthcoming exhibition: “I am the Cheshire cat that welcomes Alice in Wonderland with its diabolic smile, and chatters away as she wanders around the Château.”

French protesters oppose new Takashi Murakami show

The Art in the Office project sees an artwork displayed in the press room of the Marunouchi offices of Monex, Inc. for one year. Not only is this a form of CSR for the securities company, it is also a way of changing office and work methodology through contemporary art, and expanding the reach and appreciation of art beyond the usual visitors to galleries.
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/art-in-the-office-shusaku-nakata-2.jpg" alt="Shusaku Nakata, '1000s'. Winner of Art in the Office 2010 and exhibited for one year at the offices of Monex, Inc." title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="291" class="imgcaption" />
This year saw the highest number of applicants — over one hundred — and the winner was Shusaku Nakata. His work ‘1000s’ is a panorama 2D work filled with photos and images of figures that Nakata drew over the top of, attempting to create a sense of the unseen everyday connections around us.
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/art-in-the-office-shusaku-nakata-1.jpg" alt="Detail of Shusaku Nakata, '1000s'" title="Photo: William Andrews" width="518" height="346" class="imgcaption" />

Art in the Office 2010

Roppongi museum <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/F994A9B7.en">21 21 Design Sight</a> has got its own iPhone / iPod app, available now from the iTunes store for free.
The app allows you to take photos with the distinctive logo of the venue emblazoned inside the image.
<img src="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/21-21-design-sight-iphone-app.jpg" alt="" title="The 21 21 Design Sight iPhone and iPod app" width="518" height="344" class="imgcaption" />
According to the press release, “incorporating a design perspective into everyday scenery allows the 21 21 Design Sight concept to be easily experienced.”
The Seiichi Hishikawa-created app also gives you info on the venue’s facilities and schedule, broadcasts news updates, as well as allowing you to make reservations for certain events.
There’s a special feature as part of the current <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2010/F12C">“The Definition of Self” exhibition</a> too. If you’re a Japanese speaker you can answer a series of questions to “eventually reveal the nature of [your] attributes.” Probably only recommended for the brave, then…
For more details, visit the <a href="http://www.2121designsight.jp/information/ipapp.html">21 21 Design Sight website</a>.

21 21 DESIGN SIGHT iPhone app

The Contemporary Japanese art world used to be tagged with the <a href="http://www.artnet.com/magazine/reviews/itoi/itoi4-5-01.asp">unapologetic disclaimer</a> that it was being run by a reasonably young crowd. However, as that was almost ten years ago, those forerunners aren’t so young anymore, and the same can be said about the artists they represent. As of late, there has been a solid number of second-generation galleries opening up across Tokyo. 
<a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/AA4C0E94">Misako & Rosen</a> – run by Misako and Jeffrey Rosen, whose management skills were cultivated by their experiences of working at of <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/53785C88.en">Tomio Koyama</a> and <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/DD74E81F">Taka Ishii Gallery</a> – opened up in the Taka Ishii Gallery’s former premises in Otsuka in late 2006. 
As of July this year, the Shintomicho area of East Ginza now has <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/AD3B2DA2.en">Arataniurano</a>, run by Tomoko Aratani, former director of <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/AE018F30.en">Space Kobo & Tomo</a> and public art organizer from Town Art, together with Mutsumi Urano, a former employee of <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/4353A332.en">SCAI the Bathhouse</a>. They snagged Venice Biennale artist <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2007/07/ancient-motifs-in-contemporary-painting.html">Izumi Kato</a> from his former gallery and more than quadrupled his price accordingly.
Also, Megumi Ogita, formerly of <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/E56360AD">Nishimura Gallery</a>, now has a space of its own, the <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/B926470D.en">Megumi Ogita Gallery</a> in Ginza. 
Although no longer the newest kids on the block, other noteworthies of Tokyo’s young blood are <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/7A0B4520.en">Zenshi</a> (formerly of <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/65B1F00B.en">Mizuma Art Gallery</a>. The current show is of paintings by <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2007/6D61">Shunsuke Imai</a>, who used to work part-time at <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/5693F25A.en">Gallery Koyanagi</a>); <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/A5CF8537.en">Takuro Someya Contemporary Art</a> (ex-SCAI) and the expanded <a href="http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/venue/FA8AE572.en">takefloor 404 & 502</a>, started by artist and former gallery worker Kazuyuki Takezaki and former NY art organizer Atsuko Ninagawa.
In a few years down the line, we might see more noteworthy drama between the galleries – incest and deformation, a higher gallery staff turnover rate, artist tug-of-wars – and screwing of small industry niceties. Let’s just hope that the expansion will give Tokyo a greater source of worthwhile art exhibitions and a contemporary art market with a real personality.

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