photo: hologram effect

Kazuna Taguchi, Look how long I've grown waiting for you, 2007

photo: Tokyo 4-3-4-506

Self-portraits that merely depict the artist. Born in Japan Chino Otsuka works and lives in London. The core of her photographic research is based on autobiographical experience. She uses self-portrait to explore themes of belonging, identity and memory. In her works she traces back and recreates the past. Tokyo 4-3-4-506 series takes place in an abandoned flat in a Tokyo housing estate.

Japan at 40. Art Basel

This is briefly how Japanese contemporary art looked like at Art Basel. Beneath the best of art dealers choice which this year were Tomio Koyama, Taka Ishii, SCAI the Bathhouse, Gallery Koyanagi and ShugoArts. 

Ei Arakawa, c/o Grand Openings, Grand Openingsat Bumbershoot, 2008, performance
Shintaro Miyake, A torture of forest, 2009, acrylic, color pencil, pencil on paper

Daido Moriyama, Hokkaido, 1978/2009, black and white print
Tatsuo Miyajima, C.F.Lifestructurism - no.13, 2009, LED, IC, electric wire

Daisuke Ohba, UROBOROS(woods), 2008, acrylic on cotton

Noriko Ambe, Cutting Book Series with ED Ruscha "Artists who make pieces, Artists who do books", 2008,
Cuts on a book of "ED Ruscha"

Kohei Nawa, PixCell-Model-Leopard, 2008, mixed media

project room: Takashi Kuribayashi

I I were Japanese Pavilion commissioner I would consider showing ..

Takashi Kuribayashi, Sumpf land, 2008, installation

One of the most creative young artists who using animal motif explores concept of boundries and draws the viewer into different worlds. In his works he uses his experience as a diver. He participated in Singapore Biennale (2006).

Takashi Kuribayashi, Sumpf land, 2008, installation

photo: own archive and Towada Art Center

worst in show

Japanese Pavilion at Venice Biennale was awarded by Jerry Saltz Worst in Show. Here's the verdict: 'In the Japanese Pavilion, Miwa Yanagi exhibits a series of huge, god-awful photographs of grotesque naked women. In an accompanying text, a writer raves that these crappy pictures will bring great joy not only to the Japanese Pavilion but to the Venice Biennale as a whole...'

project room: Daisuke Ohba

Flipping thru Flashart I found review of Daisuke Ohba solo show at Scai The Bathhouse written by Satoru Nagoya which goes like this: you are beyond Japanese' means praise in the Japanese vernacular. Such a self-disparaging expression is still indispensable when we describe unrivaled talent on the Japanese art scene. And that's the case of painter Daisuke Ohba (b.1981). While many young Japanese painters cling to trivial private episodes as subjects and often reveal childish imperfection in technique, Ohba has adopted an approach with grandeur and maturity, hight above the Japanese standards.