Yoshiaki Kaihatsu’s first major solo exhibition at a Tokyo art museum, titled “Yoshiaki Kaihatsu: ART IS LIVE―Welcome to One Person Democracy,” is being held at the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art in Kiba Park until November 10 (Sunday).
Since the early 1990s, contemporary artist Yoshiaki Kaihatsu has been engaged in creative activities inspired by everyday life and social phenomena, incorporating and stimulating communication through his work. His methods span various forms, including painting, photography, performance, and installation, as well as daily life projects and workshops at schools and in communities.
In projects like “Future Post Office,” where letters written to oneself or friends are delivered after a year, and 100 Teachers, which operates under the motto “Everyone is a teacher; everyone is a student,” Yoshiaki Kaihatsu has highlighted the equivalence between message senders and receivers by mimicking existing formats such as postal services and education. Additionally, through engagement with communities affected by disasters and projects in Fukushima, including “Politician’s House,” Kaihatsu has explored personal interventions in social structures, systems, and events. This approach has become a hallmark of his work, leading to the term “solo democracy” to describe his practice.
Installation view at the special collaborative program “New Minato Village – Small Future City” (BankART Life III), 2011
Installation view at “The light art exhibition in Winterthur” (Winterthur/Switzerland), 2007
Many of Kaihatsu’s works are not intended for museum collection or display, making it rare to capture the full scope of his over 30-year career. This exhibition features around 50 works and projects, including early materials such as the guerrilla performance at Documenta IX in Germany in 1992, previously unreleased pieces from the 365 Operation tour in Japan from 1995 to 1996, and recent works.
Additionally, the exhibition will feature 100 Teachers, a series of 100 unique classes conducted by 100 distinct instructors, along with numerous live performances and workshops held daily in the exhibition halls and auditorium. These activities will create a dynamic space for movement, change, encounters, and dialogue.
Yoshiaki Kaihatsu: ART IS LIVE―Welcome to One Person Democracy
Dates: August 3, 2024 (Saturday) – November 10, 2024 (Sunday)
Venue: Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, 3rd Floor Exhibition Room
Address: 4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku, Tokyo (inside Kiba Park)
Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Last entry 30 minutes before closing; open until 9:00 PM on Fridays, August 23 and 30)
Closed: Mondays (Open on holidays September 16, 23, October 14, and November 4), September 17, 24, October 15, and November 5
Admission: General ¥1,500, University and vocational school students/65 and over ¥1,100, Junior and senior high school students ¥600, Elementary school students and younger free; Yoshiaki Kaihatsu Exhibition Passport (unlimited entry during the exhibition) ¥2,800
Group rates available.
Admission includes access to the “MOT Collection.”
Elementary school students must be accompanied by a guardian.
Free admission for those with disability certificates and up to two accompanying individuals.
Silver Day (third Wednesday of each month): Free admission for those 65 and older (proof of age required at ticket counter).
Family Interaction Day (third Saturday and Sunday of each month): Half-price admission for parents accompanying children under 18 (proof of Tokyo residency required, up to two parents).
Summer Night Museum 2024: Discounted admission by 20% after 5:00 PM on August 23 and 30; free for students (proof required).
Student Free Days Supported by Bloomberg: Free admission for junior high, senior high, vocational, and university students on September 7 and 8 (student ID required).
