INDEX
How Will He Explore “Art Week Tokyo”?
From November 7 to 10, Tokyo will host “Art Week Tokyo (AWT),” an annual big event featuring 53 of the city’s leading museums and galleries. During the event, a free shuttle bus (AWT BUS) will circulate between various art spaces, making it easy for everyone, from children to adults, to enjoy art.
Katagiri: Wow, 53! I didn’t realize there were so many museums and galleries in the city. As a sculptor, I’d definitely like to focus on three-dimensional works and installation exhibitions, like the ones I saw today by Asako Fujikura.
Dan McCarthy’s “Solo Exhibition” at KOSAKU KANECHIKA.
Dan McCarthy has presented his playful and imaginative paintings and ceramic works worldwide over his 40-year career. He will showcase a new series of ceramic pieces featuring bird motifs, alongside new paintings, and will also exhibit some of his earlier ceramic works.
Exhibition Dates: October 12, 2024 (Saturday) to November 16, 2024 (Saturday)
Location: 1-33-10 Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, TERRADA Art Complex 5F
URL: https://kosakukanechika.com/exhibition/dan_mccarthy/
Katagiri: One exhibition that particularly caught my attention is Dan’s. I have a special fondness for ceramics within the art world. His ceramic works, featuring birds as motifs, are charming and playful. I also heard that new paintings will be included in the display, which I believe will make for a visually captivating experience.
Shizuka Okada Venue: Figure
Shizuka Okada’s solo exhibition features three-dimensional works made from ceramics. Due to the nature of clay, which undergoes specific processes such as firing, Okada’s ceramic pieces possess a tangible quality. They create narratives that wander and unfold, presenting an array of images that cannot be captured by a simple binary of abstraction and figuration.
Exhibition period: October 26 (Saturday) – November 24 (Sunday)
Address: 3-27-6 Kita-Otsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, 2F
URL: https://ffiigg.org/
Katagiri: Okada presents “an array of images that cannot be captured by a simple binary of abstraction and figuration,” but just from that, it’s hard to grasp what the works are like, so I want to take my time to engage with the pieces and confront the unknown.
I’ve always loved the extraordinary techniques of artists and craftsmen that allow you to feel their meticulous handiwork. These master artisans essentially utilize materials in their natural state. In contrast, my clay art involves a lot of customization; I focus on texture, applying non-slip coatings and aging processes. That’s why I’m always inspired when I see the extraordinary techniques that showcase materials as they are. Both Dan McCarthy and Okada work with ceramics, but each brings a completely different charm to their pieces.
Vajiko Chachkhiani “Big and Little Hands” Venue: SCAI THE BATHHOUSE
Vajiko Chachkhiani, born in Tbilisi, Georgia, in 1985, presents his solo exhibition. His works consist of sculptures and installations that address symbols representing social events. Aiming to create a form of resistance “without directly intervening in the situation,” his pieces intersect with contemporary issues in Georgia as well as themes from literature and poetry, shedding light on individual psychological problems such as loneliness, anger, and violence, making a strong impact on the viewer. This exhibition marks his first solo show in Japan in six years and features new video and sculpture works created for this event.
Exhibition Dates: November 6 (Wednesday) – December 21 (Saturday), 2024
Address: 6-1-23 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0001
URL: SCAI THE BATHHOUSE
Katagiri: SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, a gallery housed in a renovated historic public bath, seems quite intriguing. The exhibition aims to illuminate personal psychological issues derived from dualistic structures such as history and nature, absence and presence, and family and economy, along with the contradictions they create, making a strong impact on the viewer. I’m very curious about how Vajiko Chachkhiani, based in Georgia, will express these themes.
I also engage in various activities, but I still sometimes feel a sense of frustration when comparing myself to my peers. I think that feeling will continue as long as I live. This resonates with me and piques my interest.
During Art Week Tokyo (AWT), the abundance of free shuttle buses makes accessing various spaces much easier, allowing everyone to enjoy art in a relaxed manner as the entire city comes alive with excitement. Since it’s a great opportunity to encounter a lot of contemporary art, I plan to enjoy the vibrant art scene in Tokyo without any pressure and just have fun.
Recommended Route by Jinn Katagiri to Explore on the AWT BUS
Click here for the AWT BUS map
Waiting Room (Edogawabashi)
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Talion Gallery (Mejiro)
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Fig. (Otsuka)
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SCAI THE BATHHOUSE (Nezu)
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Kanakawanishi Gallery (Kiyosumishirakawa)
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KOSAKU KANECHIKA (Tennozu)
Art Week Tokyo
Exhibition Dates: November 7 (Thursday) – November 10 (Sunday), 2024, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Venue: Participating museums and galleries in Tokyo, AWT FOCUS, AWT BAR, and other program locations
Organized by: General Incorporated Association Contemporary Art Platform
Partnership: Art Basel
Special Cooperation: Agency for Cultural Affairs
Official Website: https://www.artweektokyo.com/
