Kyoichi Tsuzuki “Erotopia Japan”

Atsukobarouh Arts Drinks Talk

Finished

Artists

Kyoichi Tsuzuki

Foreign tourists visiting Japan often find themselves overwhelmed by the flood of sexual images in public space. Neon signs of adult-entertainment establishments protruding into the streets; young women in maid outfits handing out flyers at the roadside; there in the back behind the bamboo blind of the DVD shop, the adult corners of convenience stores or the hourly love hotels along the highways - sex wherever you look.

Those philosophising about art, architecture or design, however, tend to turn their back on those images and the phantasies behind them. Though there surely is no one not knowing about the local hourly love hotel; not one Japanese who has not seen at least a short clip from an adult video; though the Japanese streets are full of strange things arousing interest.

Those building and designing hourly love hotels, role-play brothels or so-called hihokan sex museums, do not think of their profession as art. What they aim at is creating ‘devices’, establishments, that fulfil their and their customers’ desires and phantasies. Yet, their creativity - fuelled by their desire for sex and money - can compete with those pieces ‘art’ exhibited in museums any day.

Often despised and abjected, these cultures secretly survive, there in the shadows, from where they finally disappear.

Can you hear their songs? Echoing from blind side of the Land of the Rising Sun?

Schedule

Jun 11 (Sat) 2016-Aug 8 (Mon) 2016