published: Jun 29,2009

18/MAR/2009-24/MAY/2009
Mitsubishi-Jisho ARTIUM
Makoto Azuma dislikes nostalgia intensely. When AMPG
which he had been operating for two years
closed in March 2009
he said
""…this means neither a starting point nor an ending of something""
which means that Azuma is looking towards the ""present"" or the ""future"" in creating his works.

published: Jun 26,2009

09/JUN/2009-14/JUN/2009
neutron kyoto
Seeing a ghost means that we see a person who cannot exist in this world. Something which is considered to exist but which cannot be seen – a so-called ghost - makes people aware of their limitations in being unable to see it.

published: Jun 24,2009

04/APR/2009-02/MAY/2009
YAMAMOTO GENDAI
To visit the exhibition which is held at the ""Gallery Complex"" in Shirogane-takanawa
I get in the elevator and push the button for the third floor on which the gallery is located. Hearing the elevator doors opening with the sound ""Chin!"" I get out and immediately find a trooper sculpture created by Motohiko Odani.

published: Jun 22,2009

23/MAY/2009-28/JUN/2009
Aomori Contemporary Art Centre
Entering the main arched exhibition room of this show
which is entitled ""Toshikatsu Endo Exhibition - Sacrifice and Void""
we are welcomed by the tremendous sound of water resonating within the whole room
which makes it difficult for us to recognize the direction from which the sound comes.

published: Jun 18,2009

01/JUN/2009-11/JUL/2009
INAX GALLERY 2
In the exhibition room
there is an inky-black and gently winding work
which does not look like a painting at first glance
and which takes almost all of the display space. This is the work entitled ""Bending the Light - Green""
which was created by Tsuyoshi Higashijima.

published: Jun 15,2009

08/MAY/2009-14/JUN/2009
BankART Studio NYK
This exhibition was held using the entire premises of BankART Studio NYK
a space of approximately 3,000 square meters
which was redesigned by the architectural design unit
Mikangumi.

published: Jun 11,2009

25/MAY/2009-30/MAY/2009
GALLERY b.TOKYO
Soil and water
and flowers which live in them - Natsuko Imazu depicts common scenes which we often see in our daily lives. Indeed
her works can be described by using words such as ""realistic"" or ""look like photographs""
but they give us so appealing an impression that they cannot be expressed by using these words alone.

published: Jun 8,2009

22/APR/2009-23/MAY/2009
Mizuma Action
In the dark exhibition hall
I found there was a storage box which resembled a treasure box that might be hidden in a small secret room in an old residence. Viewers could see inside the box through gashes on the top and through the narrow opening of the box.

published: Jun 4,2009

15/MAY/2009-31/MAY/2009
NEW NATIONAL THEATRE TOKYO
THE PIT
There are a vast number of window frames
the basic color of which is white
trailing down from the ceiling of the theater
held by a cord. These frames
which are of various sizes and conditions
are said to have been collected by Chiharu Shiota...

published: Jun 1,2009

08/MAY/2009-30/MAY/2009
CASHI
In the exhibition entitled ""Masayuki Yoshinaga: CHOKKAN""
which was held at CASHI in Asakusabashi
Tokyo
we could enjoy looking at a set of photographs which had been selected from photos contained in a photo collection named ""ZOKU""
issued by Little More in 2003.

published: May 25,2009

11/MAY/2009-23/MAY/2009
GALLERY wks.
Entering the exhibition hall
we first find Senkouji’s work entitled ""Labor"" (paper
ink
acrylic paint
varnish
2009). This work
which was created by connecting nine papers
is displayed hanging from the ceiling and we cannot grasp what is depicted in the work at first glance.

published: May 21,2009

10/JAN/2009-07/FEB/2009
Takahashi Collection Hibiya
We usually look on self-portraits as composite sketches of the painters who drew them. In other words
we consider that ""self-portrait = painter (or reflection of a painter’s attitude of mind)"" . Nonetheless
self-portraits do not always give accurate images of the painters themselves
as is clear from my description of the self-portraits mentioned above.

published: May 18,2009

17/APR/2009-14/MAY/2009
magical
ARTROOM
This is the first time I have encountered works created by Fumiaki Akahane. From looking at the images of his works through the internet or printed materials
it seems to me that his works are characterized by his paranoid drawing
which
like it or not
evokes for me Yayoi Kusama’s works.

published: May 14,2009

04/APR/2009-02/MAY/2009
Take Ninagawa
When I saw the work entitled ""Boki"" (2008)
which was created by Yuuki Matsumura
I leaped to the conclusion that the work indicated smashed wood
such as that left after a fight in a Jackie Chan movie
because the noise of splitting wood sounds like ""Boki"".

published: May 11,2009

21/APR/2009-31/MAY/2009
Nerima Art Museum
This is the first time that the exhibition entitled ""Modern Suibokuga 2009 - Present State of Suiboku Expression"" has been co-hosted by the Suiboku Museum
Toyama and Nerima Art Museum. An exhibition of the same title has been held twice since it was held at the Suiboku Museum
Toyama independently.

published: May 8,2009

11/APR/2009-21/JUN/2009
Toyota Municipal Museum of Art
At first
the exhibition room is plunged into darkness with an announcement saying ""This work needs a lot of electric power to work
so…"" Around the huge horn-covered sphere which looks like a monster
there are already many viewers.

published: May 5,2009

20/MAR/2009-27/MAY/2009
Yokohama Museum of Art
He changes the familiar into the unknown by using various techniques such as collage
which is a way of creating things by pasting clippings from magazines or daily newspapers
and bricolage
which is a technique of combining different types of materials
including plastic articles and timber.

published: May 2,2009

16/APR/2009-17/MAY/2009
AKAAKA
When I entered the exhibition hall
I was surprised at the ornaments which were trailing down from one space to another
which I have not seen in galleries or art museums before ... brightly-colored artificial flowers are laid on the floor
there are crafted spiders and stars with faces hanging from the ceiling
and a large-sized picture..

published: Apr 30,2009

03/APR/2009-27/APR/2009
PARCO FACTORY
The photos entitled ""The Asada Family"" taken by Masashi Asada won a prize in the 34th Ihei Kimura Photographic Award. Although they are literally commemorative photos of the Asada family
they are not the usual type of family photo. In his photos
each member of the family plays a particular role.

published: Apr 28,2009

28/MAR/2009-31/MAY/2009
Hyokeikan
Tokyo National Museum
The special exhibition entitled ""Story of…: Cartier Creation - Memory of Encountering Beauties"" has a noteworthy display style
which is why I pick it up here. In other words
I want to convey that Tokujin Yoshioka
who is a designer and the editorial supervisor of this exhibition....

published: Apr 28,2009

13/APR/2009-16/MAY/2009
Chukyo University Art Gallery ""C·Square""
I cannot grasp what Nobuaki Onishi intends to express through his works. At the entrance of C- Square where this solo exhibition entitled ""Nobuaki Onishi - Collection of Verticality"" is held
there is a sign saying ""All works displayed here are art works.