A groundbreaking exhibition that merges the post-war Japanese art movement "GUTAI" with contemporary pop culture is being held in Yurakucho, Tokyo. The "GUTAI x POP UNDERGROUND" exhibition, a collaboration between Yoshiaki Inoue Gallery and NANZUKA, is drawing attention as an attempt to explore the intersection of post-war art's innovative spirit and contemporary pop culture.
Jiro Yoshihara, founder and leader of the postwar art movement Gutai, “Do not imitate others” and instead “create what has never been done before”, still resonate with artists more than half a century later. Does this spirit continue to be inherited by contemporary artists who pursue their unique expressions? This exhibition can be seen as an ambitious project attempting to answer such questions.
The exhibition brings together works by six artists representing GUTAI and eight contemporary artists handled by NANZUKA. From GUTAI, works by Jiro Yoshihara, Sadamasa Motonaga, Kazuo Shiraga, Shozo Shimamoto, Takesada Matsutani, and Etsuko Nakatsuji are on display. These artists continued to break the conventional concepts of painting and search for new means of expression. For instance, Kazuo Shiraga's foot painting, which involves creating paintings using the entire body, still receives high international acclaim. Also, Shozo Shimamoto's provocative performance works like "Bottle Crash" were challenging attempts to push the boundaries of art.
On the other hand, eight emerging artists from NANZUKA are participating: Tetsuya Nakamura, Hiroki Tsukuda, Ryuichi Ohira, Makoto Taniguchi, Kenichiro Fukumoto, Kotaro Abe, Yoshiki Muramatsu, and Ryunosuke Okazaki. These artists develop their unique expressions, drawing inspiration from diverse fields such as design, illustration, street art, manga, fashion, and music. For example, Tetsuya Nakamura explores the relationship between visual information and living organisms using lacquer techniques, while Hiroki Tsukuda creates futuristic works that fuse geometric compositions with urban landscapes. Kotaro Abe has developed his own "paint" using food ingredients, finding new possibilities in the materials themselves. NANZUKA has continued its efforts to connect pop culture and contemporary art, reevaluating talents that have been difficult to appreciate in the academic art world and introducing them on the international stage. This exhibition can be considered a culmination of such activities.
The curator of this exhibition, Akihito Inoue, aims to bring a new perspective to the Japanese art scene by connecting GUTAI's innovativeness with the diversity of contemporary art. A major theme of this exhibition is to explore how the uniqueness and imagination demonstrated by GUTAI have been inherited and developed by contemporary artists. The exhibition, where historical works by GUTAI artists coexist with the latest works by contemporary artists, traces the genealogy of Japanese contemporary art while suggesting its future possibilities. It is expected to provide viewers with a new perspective on the power and potential of art.
GUTAI x POP UNDERGROUND
Period: September 18 (Wed) - October 5 (Sat), 2024
Venue: CADAN Yurakucho (1F, Kokusai Building, 3-1-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)
Hours: Tue-Fri 11:00-19:00 / Sat, Sun, Holidays -17:00 *Closed on Mondays (If Monday is a holiday, closed the following weekday)
Participating Artists:
Yoshiaki Inoue Gallery: Jiro Yoshihara、Sadamasa Motonaga、Kazuo Shiraga、Shozo Shimamoto、Takesada Matsutani、Etsuko Nakatsuji
NANZUKA: Tetsuya Nakamura、Hiroki Tsukuda、Ryuichi Ohira、Makoto Taniguchi、Kenichiro Fukumoto、Kotaro Abe、Yoshiki Muramatsu、Ryunosuke Okazaki
Curated by Akihito Inoue
Photos by GUTAI x POP UNDERGROUND
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