It's been more than 10 years since Takashi Murakami and his collaborators launched the "Superflat" art movement. Looking back at the catalogs I bought as a student, I was reminded of the excitement I felt back then. It was around the beginning of the "Cool Japan," "Neo Tokyo," and "Micropop" eras. Looking back, Japan, or Japanese art, had never been so caricatured to such an extreme.

It's the extreme that makes it impactful and captivating. When theory catches up with extremes, the interaction between "object" and "theory" becomes even more intense.

Intense things may temporarily capture people's attention, but if they become too intense, they become flat and boring. To maintain distinctiveness while still retaining appeal, style development and balance are necessary, and maintaining a sense of mystery is also important.

This is exactly what art branding is. Just like fashion branding, fashion is a process of trial and error designed to sell caricatured fantasies to a specific target audience. What makes art different from fashion is that theory is as crucial as style...
At some point, easy-to-understand art like "Welcome to Japan" became too extreme and unrealistic, and both style and theory stagnated. It's as if a brand is coming to an end.
Since the Lehman Shock and 3/11, Japanese art seems to have entered a period of vacuum in terms of theory and style. That's why when I think about Japanese art these days, I get just as excited as I did 10 years ago.
Perhaps the "activism" and "community" elements of the post-3/11 era will become the brand. This could be a more subtle, profound, and mature trend than "Cool Japan."
Who will create new theories, and how will it be branded?
Or will it not be branded?
If it's not branded, how will it reach the world?
Thinking about these things has been exciting me lately.