twenty emerging Japanese artists exhibit in Kyoto
Kyoto City The KYOCERA Art Museum celebrates its grand opening Visionaries: Taking another perspective at the Higashiyama Cube exhibition space. The show is carefully curated by renowned journalist and academic Noriko Kawakami, whose core practice focuses on a deep exploration of the world of design. Through the lens of twenty emerging Japanese artists, including Issey Miyake and Tamura NaoKawakami investigates the radical social changes that have resulted from growing environmental awareness alongside technological advances – responses to the current Anthropocene era and a deeper understanding of humanity’s impact.
The exhibition Visionaries: Taking another perspective opens at Kyoto City’s KYOCERA Museum of Art on March 9 and runs until June 4, 2023.
flow[T], WonderGlass, Tamura Nao2013-15 (see previous designboom coverage here) | image © Koroda Takeru
fusion of art, architecture, fashion and craftsmanship
The sculptural works exhibited at Kyoto City KYOCERA Art Museum‘small Visionaries: Taking another perspective they range from glassworks, ceramics and textiles, blurring the lines between art, architecture, fashion and craftsmanship. Overall, the exhibition aims to bridge past and future, natural and artificial space and digital and physical realm. The performance will give impetus to an artistic effort “to respond to the demands of troubled times.”
‘We often hear the term “Anthropocene,” a classification proposed by Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Paul Crutzen to describe a new era we are entering in which human activities have a significant impact on the earth.,’ writes exhibition curator Noriko Kawakami. ‘We feel more strongly than ever the importance of taking time to stop in the midst of change and take a fresh look at our environment and examine the relationship between humans and nature from new perspectives.’
Visionaries: Taking another perspective, installation view | image © Koroda Takeru
learning from the past to move forward
‘This exhibition introduces messages in the present tense from twenty pioneering artists and collectives who, with boundless energy, strive to capture the vicissitudes of the world in all their being,’ Kawakami continues. ‘Taking a cue from their perspectives and approaches to production, this exhibition offers an opportunity to examine the creative power of individuals who carefully seek the next step forward regardless of the times we face..’
To more clearly explore humanity’s role in the anthropocene, the exhibition Visionaries: Taking another perspective is organized between four sections. These include “Dialogue in Strata”, “Germination from Insight”, “Laboratories: Connecting 100 Years Past and 100 Years Ahead” and “Researches and Messages: Visionaries’ Logs”.
Visionaries: Taking another perspective, installation view | image © Koroda Takeru
“survival and creativity” in Japanese craftsmanship
As expressed through the exhibition, the world is taking note of innovative creators from Japan who are reexamining their cultural traditions to explore new ways of living. Now these creators, especially those who appear Visionaries: Taking another perspective, they experiment with multidisciplinary combinations of art, design, fashion, architecture and cinema. The exhibition presents a series of such works, created with hybridized techniques. These pieces aim to evoke a sense of anticipation for survival in uncertain times, embracing the unknown and inventing what is to come.
Visionaries: Taking another perspective, installation view | image © Koroda Takeru
100 years from now: inheriting traditional craftsmanship
At the KYOCERA Museum of Art in Kyoto City, Visionaries: Taking another perspective will largely center around the Kyoto-based team researching such new techniques based on inherited tradition. These groups include Hosoo Masataka of Hosoo (founded 1688) and Yagi Takahiro of Kaikado (founded 1875), and GO ON was formed by six future leaders from six companies (Hosoo, Kohchosai Kosuga, Nakagawa Mokkougei, Kaikado, Kanaami Tánheisu Products).
This group is working on the theme “What needs to be done today to connect the ‘things’ used in everyday life 100 years from now?” Hosoo’s work, which seeks to expand the horizons of traditional handicrafts in collaboration with scientists and mathematicians, as well as the innovative efforts of other members, will be presented separately.
Visionaries: Taking another perspective, installation view | image © Koroda Takeru
While edited by Noriko Kawakamiexhibition design is led by Sano Fumihiko, an architect and artist who studies Japanese culture in the modern era. Sano will also present new work as a participating artist. The scenography will be edited by Endo Yutaka, LUFTZUG, Technical Director of International Exhibitions and Stage Performances, while Noma Shingo will handle the graphic design.