"Private Utopia: A Place Exclusive to Me" opened on January 18th at Tokyo Station Gallery in Marunouchi, Tokyo, and runs through March 9th. This exhibition features approximately 120 paintings, photographs, videos, and sculptures by approximately 30 artists, selected from the approximately 9,000 works in the art collection of the British Council, the UK's official international cultural exchange organization. This is the first time in nearly half a century that the entire collection has been displayed in Japan. The term "private utopia" was coined specifically for this exhibition, symbolizing the modern era, where the private is both a place where the individual (private) is fully developed and a utopia where we are connected to everything via the internet and social media. All of the works were created after the 1990s. The exhibition explores the current state of British art and the contemporary zeitgeist through five keywords: "narrative," "landscape," "self," "humor," and "quotation." The first exhibition, "Once Upon a Time...," brings together works that pose questions through stories that connect fragments from a unique perspective. Visitors will be greeted by Marcus Coates's works "Large Moth," "Large Moth Caterpillar," and "Self-Portrait in Shaving Foam," all of which were acquired by the British Council last year. These works are part of the artist's portrait series, in which he immerses himself in the world of animals, addressing various issues in human society. All three works will be shown in Japan for the first time. Also on show will be the notable video work "Woolworths Choir, 1979" by Elizabeth Price, winner of the Turner Prize in 2012. The video combines footage of a woman waving for help from the 1979 fire at Manchester's Woolworths department store with footage of women shaking their hips and dancing to popular music, creating a cacophonous effect. The second exhibition, "In Unseen Landscapes," features works that express new landscapes by altering ordinary landscapes or by incorporating the artist's own emotions. "Carl House," by 2012 Turner Prize-nominated Paul Noble, is a detailed depiction of the ideal home of a single man named Carl. The third exhibition, "Where I Am," on the second floor, features portraits by YBA (Young British Artist) artists Sarah Lucas, Tracey Emin, and Gary Hume. Tracey's "Something Strange" is a self-portrait made of fabric and embroidery, a metaphor for her own affluence through sexuality. The fourth exhibition, "Between Comedy and Tragedy," features works filled with typical British humor, including irony and puns. The stuffed dog holding up a sign reading "I'm Dead" is the work of 2013 Turner Prize nominee David Shrigley. Enjoy Shrigley's humorous drawings.
The final section, "The 'Borrowing' Method," focuses on the expressive techniques of "appropriation" and "quotation." This exhibition marks the first time that Ryan Gander's "16-feathered Bird of Paradise of the 4th Baron Egerton" has been exhibited outside the UK. The work depicts the discovery of a new bird species by the real-life Baron Egerton in the UK, and features the stuffed bird along with newspaper articles and photographs reporting the discovery. By appropriating the news media system, the work stimulates the viewer's imagination.
Works by Martin Creed, winner of the 2001 Turner Prize, include "Work No. 123," which creates irregular sounds by arranging three metronomes side by side, and "Work No. 78," which creates a cube by cutting bandage tape into uniform lengths and stacking them.
The British Council has been assembling an art collection since 1935 as part of its efforts to promote British art around the world. Since the collection does not have a designated exhibition facility, it mainly travels overseas, earning it the nickname "museum without walls."
The exhibition will travel to the Itami City Museum of Art (April 12 to May 25), the Kochi Museum of Art (November 2 to December 21), and the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art (January 9 to February 22, 2015).
[Event Information]
Private Utopia: An Exclusive Place
Current British Art as Seen in the British Council Collection
Venue: Tokyo Station Gallery
Address: 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Dates: January 18th to March 9th
Hours: 10:00 to 18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays)
Admission: 900 yen, high school and university students 700 yen, elementary and junior high school students 400 yen
Closed: Mondays
