The Aichi Triennale, Japan's largest international art festival, held for the fourth time this year, finally came to a close this weekend. It opened on August 1st and over the course of 75 days, various exhibitions and performances based on the theme "The Age of Emotion" were held at four venues. While some exhibits were changed or canceled at one point, they were fully reopened just before the closing ceremony. This was one of the most talked-about events of the year, keeping you glued to the very end.
Although I saw many of the artists for the first time, I would like to introduce some of the works and initiatives that made a genuine impression on me after actually attending.
Yohei Imamura《tsurugi No.1》 2016
Imamura Yohei "peak 3601" 2019
This work by Imamura Yohei is comprised of two three-dimensional works and a record of the process of creating them. I was surprised to learn that these three-dimensional works were created using the silkscreen printing technique. "Tsurugi" is based on Mount Tsurugi, which the artist himself climbed, and is a work in which ink is layered along the contour lines of a map of the mountain. Meanwhile, "peak 3601" is a work formed by layering colors, and the number in the title refers to the number of times it has been printed. It was a stunning three-dimensional work, created through a mind-boggling process of 3,601 plate-making and printing processes.
Even if you visit the same art exhibition, each person will have different feelings and be impressed by different works. I hope that creative endeavors like this, which allow visitors to share perspectives and emotions they would never have considered, born from exchanging opinions, will continue to be implemented at various exhibition venues in the future.
Barthélémy Toguo, Africa: Western Trash Can, 2019
The first thing that caught my eye upon arriving at the Nagoya City Art Museum were the numerous colorful trash cans installed around the venue. I thought the trash can looked unusually colorful, and it turned out to be one of the artworks. The flags of 54 African countries are printed on it to represent Africa, a country that has been forced to do various things by its colonial masters.
As with the Endoji Daily Live venue in Shimanamichi/Endoji, which I'll introduce below, being able to view artworks without entering the venue gives even people who aren't interested in art an opportunity to experience it. I would like the Triennale, one of whose goals is to allow residents to experience art, to actively adopt this type of exhibition method.
Tomotoshi
Dig Your Dreams.
Tomotoshi "Dig Your Dreams." 2019
The ground at the venue has been dug up in the shape of Toyota Motor Corporation's corporate logo, and earthenware and junk unearthed during the excavation are on display, along with a video of the excavation process. While researching the area for the piece, artist Tomotoshi noticed that there were almost no Toyota Motor Corporation-related logos or advertisements in Toyota City, a company town, and this inspired him to create the piece.
Even if it's not visible to the naked eye, if you look into the town's history, you'll see that Toyota City and Toyota Motor Corporation are inseparable. The piece humorously expresses this fact, and while entertaining, it also made me realize the close connection between the company and the town, something I hadn't really considered before.
"Endoji Daily Live"
Tomoko Washio "MISSING PIECE" 2019
The event only lasts for two more days, today and tomorrow, but if you're planning to visit, be sure to take the time to enjoy the art. We're excited to see what kind of works will be on display when it's held four years from now.
Although I saw many of the artists for the first time, I would like to introduce some of the works and initiatives that made a genuine impression on me after actually attending.
Aichi Arts Center
Yohei Imamura
tsurugi No.1
peak
tsurugi No.1
peak
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Yohei Imamura《tsurugi No.1》 2016Imamura Yohei "peak 3601" 2019This work by Imamura Yohei is comprised of two three-dimensional works and a record of the process of creating them. I was surprised to learn that these three-dimensional works were created using the silkscreen printing technique. "Tsurugi" is based on Mount Tsurugi, which the artist himself climbed, and is a work in which ink is layered along the contour lines of a map of the mountain. Meanwhile, "peak 3601" is a work formed by layering colors, and the number in the title refers to the number of times it has been printed. It was a stunning three-dimensional work, created through a mind-boggling process of 3,601 plate-making and printing processes.
Art Playground
TALK
TALK
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Even if you visit the same art exhibition, each person will have different feelings and be impressed by different works. I hope that creative endeavors like this, which allow visitors to share perspectives and emotions they would never have considered, born from exchanging opinions, will continue to be implemented at various exhibition venues in the future.
Nagoya City Art Museum
Barthélémy Toguo
Africa: Western Trash Can
Africa: Western Trash Can
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Barthélémy Toguo, Africa: Western Trash Can, 2019The first thing that caught my eye upon arriving at the Nagoya City Art Museum were the numerous colorful trash cans installed around the venue. I thought the trash can looked unusually colorful, and it turned out to be one of the artworks. The flags of 54 African countries are printed on it to represent Africa, a country that has been forced to do various things by its colonial masters.
As with the Endoji Daily Live venue in Shimanamichi/Endoji, which I'll introduce below, being able to view artworks without entering the venue gives even people who aren't interested in art an opportunity to experience it. I would like the Triennale, one of whose goals is to allow residents to experience art, to actively adopt this type of exhibition method.
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art and Toyota City Station Area
Tomotoshi
Dig Your Dreams.
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
Tomotoshi "Dig Your Dreams." 2019The ground at the venue has been dug up in the shape of Toyota Motor Corporation's corporate logo, and earthenware and junk unearthed during the excavation are on display, along with a video of the excavation process. While researching the area for the piece, artist Tomotoshi noticed that there were almost no Toyota Motor Corporation-related logos or advertisements in Toyota City, a company town, and this inspired him to create the piece.
Even if it's not visible to the naked eye, if you look into the town's history, you'll see that Toyota City and Toyota Motor Corporation are inseparable. The piece humorously expresses this fact, and while entertaining, it also made me realize the close connection between the company and the town, something I hadn't really considered before.
Shimanami/Endoji
"Endoji Daily Live"
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
Tomoko Washio "MISSING PIECE" 2019The event only lasts for two more days, today and tomorrow, but if you're planning to visit, be sure to take the time to enjoy the art. We're excited to see what kind of works will be on display when it's held four years from now.
