Tokyo Gendai Announces Programme Highlights for Its Second Edition

The programme will include: Tsubomi ‘Flower Bud’, an exhibition spotlighting four women artists; Art Talks, a talks programme with thought leaders from the art world; showcases from renowned local institutions as part of Ne ‘Root’; large-scale installations as part of Sato ‘Meadow’; a new series of workshops for children; and dedicated gallery evenings. The programme complements the world-class showcase of international contemporary art brought together by 72 galleries from across the world.

PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS

Following its successful debut last year, Tsubomi ‘Flower Bud’ returns, this year showcasing works by four women artists of different nationalities, generations and cultural identities. The exhibition, titled ALL THINGS ARE DELICATELY INTERCONNECTED, will be presented by SPECTRUM, an international collective of art curators and professionals who develop artistic projects that confront ideas around representation and diversity, and co-curated by Marina Amada, a Paris and Kyoto-based contemporary art curator and Co-Founder of SPECTRUM, and Soojung Yi, Curator at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea. The exhibition presents works that reflect on our relationship with civilisations and the natural environment, showcasing works by a range of artists, from recent pieces by up-and-coming and underrepresented artists, to the once-underrepresented works of established ones.

Artists include: New York-based artist Mika Tajima from TARO NASU (Tokyo), whose work spans painting, sculpture, film, and performance; New York artist Miya Ando from Sundaram Tagore Gallery (New York, Singapore, London), who was raised between a Buddhist temple in Japan and the redwood forest of northern California, creates art rooted in the coexistence of Eastern and Western cultures through the lens of natural phenomena; American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer from SCAI THE BATHHOUSE (Tokyo), whose work deploys text in public spaces across an array of media, including electronic signs, carved stone, paintings, billboards, and printed materials; and Thai visual artist Sareena Sattapon from SAC Gallery (Bangkok), whose work spans various media such as performance art, photography, video art and installation.

I started SPECTRUM in 2020 with friends, curators and supporters to make initiatives and artistic projects that open discussions on diversity in Japan; our aim is to celebrate a spectrum of individualities and to support underrepresented artists. Their position as underdogs and outsiders to the dominant ideology often gives them an interesting vantage point from which unseen ideas and approaches can arise. We are excited to be part of Tokyo Gendai’s diverse programme to offer unique perspectives from these artists who have, in their practices, exhibited extraordinary creativities in confronting and negotiating the differences with others.

Curator Marina Amada

Sato ‘Meadow’ will feature four large-scale, tailored installations around the fair, spotlighting new themes in contemporary art. Tomio Koyama Gallery (Tokyo) will present an installation by Kishio Suga, a central member of the Mono-ha (translated literally as the ‘School of Things’) art movement that emerged in Tokyo in the late-1960s to 1970s, entitled System of Surroundings. In producing his work, Suga utilises objects such as wood, stone, metal and rope to demonstrate the equal and interdependent relationships between nature, things and people. Meanwhile, GALLERY SIDE 2 (Tokyo) will present Every game begins with ‘LOVE’ by Udomsak Krisanamis, which will consist of the artist’s paintings, a checkerboard game with original chairs, and an analogue record playing system that invites the viewers to interact. KOTARO NUKAGA (Tokyo) will showcase The Cowboy on the Grass from Yuichiro E Tamura, a performative work created specially for Tokyo Gendai in which three bandana-wearing cowboys rest on a huge green bandana-patterned carpet, with the composition based on The Luncheon on the Grass by Edouard Manet. MtK Contemporary Art (Kyoto) will showcase LINES, an installation by Kengo Kito. Created specially for Tokyo Gendai, Kito collaborated with a video creator to realise this work.

The fair will also include Ne ‘Root’, which presents several leading local foundations hosting special showcases of their work. Odawara Art Foundation, founded by contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, will deliver a presentation on the concept of the Enoura Observatory, as well as Kankitsuzan Art Museum, scheduled to begin construction later this year. In addition, the foundation will also present the relocation project of Keika House originally designed by Seiichi Shirai, one of Japan’s leading architects. Fukutake Foundation will introduce new activities at Benesse Art Site Naoshima, including the new art museum scheduled to open in spring 2025. Foundation Yoshii will introduce Kiyoharu Art Colony, an art and culture complex in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, operated by the foundation as its base. The Obayashi Foundation will display an overview of its support towards artists, thinkers and researchers with a focus on urban development and the building of healthy cities. Meanwhile, CADAN: Contemporary Art Dealers Association Nippon will present My Pick, an exhibition in which art collectors introduce their favourite artists and tell how they enjoy collecting art, as well as the activities of the gallery space CADAN Yurakucho, which reopened in May 2024.

Art Talks, the fair’s talks programme that centres engaging conversations around contemporary art, will feature eight discussions about key trends, topics and developments in today’s art world, with thought leaders from the art world and beyond, including Alexander S. C. Rower (President of the Calder Foundation), Marc Glimcher (CEO of Pace Gallery), Mami Kataoka (Director, Mori Museum), Miwa Taguchi (Co-founder of Taguchi Art Collection), Eriko Kimura (Director, Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art), Pedro Erber (Professor, Waseda University), Ritsue Mishima (Artist), and Jun Ishida (GQ JAPAN Head of Editorial Content).

New for 2024, Tokyo Gendai presents IntoArt, a series of daily workshops for children led by Tokyo Gendai exhibiting artists. Organised by Gotoschool Inc., there will also be a corner where children can freely use various art materials, as well as booths showing art books and videos.

SATELLITE EVENTS AND VIP PROGRAMME

The week around the fair features an extensive programme of special events, exhibitions and gallery evenings in celebration of the very best art and culture that Japan has to offer. Tokyo Gendai’s opening party on 4 July will be held at Yokohama Museum of Art, featuring a performance by Ranshou Fujima, a dancer and choreographer.

The VIP programme will include trips to Kanazawa, Yamanashi, Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (Kanazawa) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and will showcase a number of exhibitions, including one on Pop-up Art featuring work by 12 artists. The Keith Haring Museum (Yamanashi) is the only museum in the world dedicated to Keith Haring, the artist who represents 1980s American art. Pola Museum of Art (Kanagawa) will present Philippe Parreno: Places and Spaces, one of Parreno’s largest solo exhibitions in Japan, encompassing his diverse practice ranging from early works of the 1990s to an installation unveiled for the first time, with his well-known film Marilyn among the highlights. Meanwhile, Mori Art Museum (Tokyo) is holding Theaster Gates: Afro-Mingei, Theaster Gates’ first solo exhibition in Japan and largest-ever in Asia, imagining a new hybrid of Black and Japanese cultures through ceramics, architecture and music.

Warehouse TERRADA will host TENNOZ ART WEEK from 27 June to 15 July with an exclusive Gallery Night at TERRADA ART COMPLEX, one of Japan‘s most significant art complexes and home to numerous leading art galleries, on 6 July to coincide with Tokyo Gendai. Highlights include a new installation by internationally acclaimed artist Tabaimo and three independent animators, as well as night viewings at WHAT MUSEUM and WHAT CAFE.

About Tokyo Gendai

Launched by The Art Assembly in 2023, Tokyo Gendai is an international art fair showcasing curated presentations by internationally recognised contemporary art galleries. Taking place in one of the most dynamic art and design scenes in the world, the fair is a platform for commercial, artistic and intellectual exchange, and a nexus of cross-cultural discovery. Tokyo Gendai is accompanied by an extensive VIP programme of exhibition and museum openings, studio visits and cultural experiences, as well as a public programme centred on art awareness and education, allowing visitors to sample a wide spectrum of what the Japanese art scene has to offer.

About SMBC Group

SMBC Group has a history of commercial banking service over the centuries in Japan and has expanded its comprehensive financial services to the world: leasing, securities, consumer finance, credit card, IT solutions, and investment management.

SMBC Group also has a long history of supporting artistic activities through the ages, and is committed to supporting artists’ expressive endeavours and providing opportunities for people to experience artworks closer through sponsorships of various events and art exhibitions. SMBC Group will continue to share the charms of art and contribute to the realisation of “Fulfilled Growth” for society.

About The Art Assembly

The Art Assembly is an affiliation of three international art fairs in the Asia Pacific region. Composed of ART SG in Singapore, Taipei Dangdai in Taiwan, and Tokyo Gendai in Japan, The Art Assembly represents a unique joint initiative between three of the world’s leading art fair organisers: Sandy Angus, Tim Etchells and Magnus Renfrew. Together, the founders bring over 50 years’ experience in the sector and have successfully co-founded and launched more than a dozen fairs across the world over the last 15 years. Most notably, in 2008 they launched Hong Kong’s first globally recognised international art fair ARTHK Hong Kong International Art Fair. The Art Assembly’s three fairs act as regional platforms for creative and commercial exchange, each tailored to the nuances of its local market. Focused on building meaningful and long-term relationships with local institutions, artists, galleries, collectors and their growing audiences, The Art Assembly’s fairs continue to pave the way for the exciting future of international art scenes in Asia.

For more information, please visit https://tokyogendai.com/.