The Yageo Foundation is a world-class Taiwanese collector with a collection of modern and contemporary Eastern and Western art. With their full cooperation, the humorous and challenging exhibition "The Hardcore of Contemporary Art is Actually the World's Treasure" opened at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo on June 20th. Unusually for an exhibition, the title seems eloquent at first glance. However, the words "world's treasure" here have two meanings. One is that the market prices and insurance valuations of the works on display indicate that they are undoubtedly "world's treasures." But just how "treasure" are they? To cite just a few examples, a work by Beijing-born Zhao Wu-ki, who worked in Paris, was sold at a Sotheby's auction in Beijing on December 1, 2013, for 89.68 million yuan (approximately 1.53 billion yen), and a Francis Bacon work was sold at the same auction in London on February 10, 2011, for the staggering sum of 23,001,250 pounds (3,082,200,000 yen).
Another reason is that from an art historical perspective, these works are "treasures of the world." The artists whose works are on display this time have taken art's long history into consideration, focusing on the "now" and expressing what needs to be expressed "now," while at the same time seeking to convey timeless messages for the future. This exhibition features 74 works by 40 artists, including leading figures in Western contemporary art such as Man Ray, Andy Warhol, and Gerhard Richter, as well as representatives of modern and contemporary Chinese art such as Chang Yu, Cai Guoqiang, and Liu Wei. Divided into 10 chapters based on keywords such as "Muse," "Sublime," "Memory," and "New Beauty," the diverse and impressive collection includes works such as Marc Quinn's "Venus Miniature," which is featured on the exhibition poster, Andreas Gursky's "May Day," and "The Last Supper" and "Tyrrhenian Sea, Conca" by Hiroshi Sugimoto, the only Japanese artist on display. Pierre Chen, president of the Yageo Foundation, who visited Japan for the opening, had this to say: "A great work of art isn't something to be treasured away in a warehouse. Art is something much more familiar. It only has meaning when it's integrated into daily life and lived alongside it."
Chen was once a struggling student. While earning his university tuition through part-time work, he saved up 15,000 NTD (approximately 51,000 JPY) over the course of a year and a half to purchase his first piece of art. "I visited Chen's home in Taiwan and saw Man Ray in the bathroom and Warhol in the living room. Living with art—a lifestyle that truly embodies this—was astounding," says Kenjiro Hosaka, chief researcher at the museum.
In addition to the exhibits, the art photographs displayed in Chen's home, guesthouse, office, and other spaces are another highlight, expressing the Yageo Foundation's concepts of "living with art" and "art is accessible." Furthermore, museum director Yukio Kamogawa said, "We would love for young people to become familiar with the exhibition as well," and has prepared a "game" that allows visitors to relive the feelings of an art collector while enjoying the works.
After its run at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, the exhibition will tour three cities: the Nagoya City Art Museum from September 6th, the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art from December 20th, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto from March 31st, 2015.
[Event Information]
The Hard Core of Contemporary Art is Actually the World's Treasure
Venue: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Address: 3-1 Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Dates: June 20th to August 24th
Time: 10:00am to 5:00pm (until 8:00pm on Fridays)
Admission: 1,200 yen for adults, 500 yen for university students, free for high school students and younger
Closed: Mondays
