Art, architecture and design - The Rough Guide to Tokyo - page 254

Art, architecture and design
Tokyo isn't just the contemporary art capital of Japan - it has the biggest art
scene of any Asian city (though Beijing is catching up fast). Its innumerable
galleries provide a window into a fascinating scene that's still relatively little
known in the Western world. The city also offers a brilliant showcase of
contemporary design. Concrete-and-glass buildings that double as
enormous public sculptures or electronic art screens; fashions, consumer
gadgets and household goods that could be - and often are - exhibits in
galleries; striking blasts of elegant graphics and eye-grabbing visuals on
practically every corner: all are part of the city's dazzling visual appeal. Taking
their lead from the centuries-old values of traditional craftsmen and artisans
- functionality, uniqueness and attention to detail - Tokyo's current
generation of exciting designers continue to innovate and surprise.

Art
Talented artists who have cemented their reputations in recent years include Tabaimo ,
who creates really interesting installations involving video animation that reflect
modern life, and the Damien Hirst-influenced Nawa Kohei ( W kohei-nawa.net). The art
collective Chim Pom took part in the 2007 Venice Biennale and have been very active
since, sometimes attracting controversy and media attention: examples include their
Erigero video of a young girl spewing up pink vomit, and the somewhat misjudged
pasting of the stricken Fukushima Dai-Ichi power plants into Okamoto Tarō's Myth of
Tomorrow mural (see p.115). Perhaps by way of apology for the latter, in 2013 the
collective staged an exhibition fusing their works with a selection of Tarō's own.
Miyanaga Aiko ( W aiko-m.com) does 3D work and installations, while Odani
Motohiko creates large, gothic sculptures. Another two artists who have had successful
shows in recent years are Kaneuji Teppei ( W teppeikaneuji.com), whose wacky sculptures
combine materials such as logs, mirrors, colourful plastics, old furniture and other
found objects; and Aoyama Satoru , who creates incredible works of embroidery - some
in three dimensions - that defy conventional notions of this art.

ART AROUND TOKYO
Tokyo has long boasted Asia's most vibrant art scene, and galleries in the city are listed throughout
the guide. These include major venues such as the National Art Center (see p.94), Mori Art
Museum (see p.96) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (see p.78), but it's also fascinating to
explore the city's many commercial galleries , make a few discoveries of your own and maybe
even buy something. Ginza (see p.52) and Roppongi (see p.93) have the greatest concentrations
of galleries, though more challenging pieces are generally presented at the Kiyosumi Gallery
complex (see p.77) and the galleries in Bakurochō and Shirokane.
The annual Art Fair Tokyo ( W artfairtokyo.com) takes place in April, and brings together
around one hundred galleries, with a strong focus on contemporary work.
RESOURCES
Art Space Tokyo W artspacetokyo.com. Beautifully
produced guidebook to twelve of the best Tokyo galleries.

Tokyo Art Beat W tokyoartbeat.com. Exhibition listings
and interesting features on the city's art scene.