Staged by the Mori Art Museum once every 3 years since 2004, "Roppongi Crossing" is a series designed to offer a comprehensive survey of the Japanese contemporary art scene. The 4th in the series, "Roppongi Crossing 2013," coincides with the 10th anniversary of the inauguration of the Mori Art Museum, and as such, in addition to looking back over the last 3 to 4 years, it seeks to examine from various perspectives the extent to which it is possible to position and relativize Japanese contemporary art both amidst broader historical and social contexts and vis-a-vis an increasingly global international art scene.
The title of the exhibition, "OUT OF DOUBT," raises questions concerning the kind of productive debate we can generate from doubts cast over existing systems and vested interests, including all manner of social systems and information media as weel as the political system and social conventions that have been in place since Japan's modernization, at a time when social awareness is high in the wake of the anarchic situation in the immediate aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake in which no one seemed in control. The title is also ambiguous, since it can be interpreted as referring to "something arising from doubts" or "the state of clarity that arises when doubts are dispelled." The Japanese subtitle of the exhibition, kitarubeki fukei no tameni ("For a Landscape to Come") derives from Nakahira Takuma's 1970 photo book, For a Language to Come. Through his photography, Nakahira has consistently asked searching questions about the relationship between the world and himself, and the form art and photography should take. For Nakahira, the "landscape" took the form of a world, environments, cities, and even social systems that needed to be confronted. Nakahira talks of "urban rebellion," by which he means "an unlimited personal act of aggression against the landscape," but today, when this "landscape" is collapsing and very much subject to doubt, we would like to use this exhibition as an opportunity to question, over and yet again, the meaning of this statement.
This edition will feature around 30 artists. In generational terms, the focus will be on artist born from the 1970s through the '80s, although in the interests of re-examining Japan historically, an attempt will also be made to engage with artist from key movements in post-war Japanese art who, viewed from the perspective of rather young artists above mentioned, seem critically real. As well, by not limiting the area of activity of the artists in a gegraphical sense to Japan, but rather actively broadening our horizons to include expatriate Japanese artists and artists of Japanese descent, we will also examine the cultural boundaries of Japan.
The participating artists are chosen in line with a number of loosely defined contexts determined by considering Japanese contemporary art from the kinds of perspectives outlined above and in light of post-war history, modern history, the ancient Japanese view of nature, and global trends.
Participating Artists:
Akasegawa Genpei, Akira Akira, Arai Takashi, Arakawa Ei+Minamikawa Shimon,
Asakai Yoko, Chiba Masaya, Endo Ichiro, Simon Fujiwara, Iwata SoheixProminority,
Izumi Taro, Kaneuji Teppei, Kazama Sachiko, Kobayashi Fumiko, Koizumi Meiro,
Mitsuta Haruo, Mori Chihiro, Nakahira Takuma, Nakamura Hiroshi, Nakamura Yuta,
Niwa Yoshinori, Okumura Yuki, Ryui Koji, Sasamoto Aki, Shitamichi Motoyuki,
Suga Kishio, Tajima Mika, Takasaka Masato, Yanagi Kukinori
Courtesy of Mori Art Museum
*image (left)
Kaneuji Teppei
Ghost in the Liquid Room (lenticular) #1, 2012
Lenticular, reflection sheet, wood
180x180cm
Courtesy of ShugoArts, Tokyo
