exhibition: ShContemporary09

This year edition of ShContemporary09 hosted a special exhibition (curated by Mami Kataoka) to showcase works by some of the most significant artist who emerged from Asia during the past two decades as well as some of the most promising emerging artists. Among Japanese were: Aiko Miyanaga, Teppei Kaneuji, Takahiro Iwasaki and Yuichi Higashionna. The first two were already mentioned at different occasions so here are few words about latter both working with everyday objects.

Takahiro Iwasaki, Bookshelf, 2008, installation

Iwasaki lyrically transforms the every day objects into vessels of fantasy. What may seem at the first glance a clutter of strings and found objects become a Lilliputian world arranged with great precision.
Iwasaki studied at Hiroshima City University and Edinburgh Collage of Art. In 2005 selected for Bloomberg New Contemporaries. He's been exhibiting is Japan (Roppongi Crossing 2007 Future Beats in Japanese Contemporary Art@ Mori Art Museum in Tokyo), Scotland, Germany and UK (Barbican). Currently his work Reflection model is on show at 10. Biennale de Lyon.

Yuichi Higashionna, Untitled (Chandelier IV), 2004, installation

Higashionna’s work is about exploring domestic kitsch. My work frequently incorporates common, everyday things. Many of these things are what we call fanshii in Japanese. Fanshii things are said to be odd, kitsch, girlish and tacky he says.

Higashionna graduated from Tama Art University in Tokyo (1978). His works were exhibited in Japan, South Korea (Pusan Biennale), U.S., Canada, France and Germany. In 2008 awarded Bombay Sapphire Prize (the world's biggest award for artists, designers and architects working with glass).

tofu sculpture

Tatzu Nishi, The Aureole of Tofu Buddha and Soy Sauce - The Land of Perfect Bliss, 2009, c-print

Buddhist altar made from tofu blocks fitted with the pump sprinkling soy sauce and all these sitting in the fridge. This is artist response to budget cuts on monumental art work which he's been working on. Tatzu Nishi is know for redeploying outdoor sculptures in seemingly everyday settings altering scale and context of these objects. And so a bronze Christe appears in the bedroom, Chinese pavillion changes into the hotel room and the street lamp lands in the gallery office. The Aureole of Tofu Buddha and Soy Sauce - The Land of Perfect Bliss is part of his show in Arataniurano gallery.




photo: tokyoartbeat

Japan game

Playing games has been an essential aspect of human cultural history since Antiquity. In Japan, the global leader in entertainment electronics, the merger of everyday life, hobbies and computer games has progresses with particular intensity.

From 8th September Ars Electronica hosts Japan Media Arts Festival, an annual event from Tokyo first time in Europe. It focus on entertainment aspect in Japanese media art and present award winning game works.

Every evening there will be some game tournaments.