Taguchi Art Collection Exhibition
The Taguchi Art Collection comprises approximately 450 works of contemporary art from around the world (as of June 2018), assembled by entrepreneur Hiroshi Taguchi.
The collection has no permanent exhibition space of its own; instead, it travels the country in response to loan requests from museums and other venues. The “Taguchi Art Collection Exhibition” held at the Hiratsuka Museum of Art from April to June 2018 was an excellent show.
About Painting
One of the works in the Taguchi Art Collection lineup is Satoru Aoyama’s “About Painting 2014-2015.” Setting up evaluative axes—”Personal-Social” along the horizontal and “Radical-Conservative” along the vertical—the work arranges representative pieces by celebrated 20th-century painters, each recreated in embroidery art. Aoyama’s own commentary, written by hand, completes the piece as a single work.
For details on each individual work, please see the link below.
Artist Talk
The day I visited happened to be the day of Satoru Aoyama’s artist talk—a conversation format with Miwa Taguchi, daughter of Hiroshi Taguchi, the founder of the Taguchi Art Collection.
The seating set up in front of the work filled up quickly, and with many visitors standing as well, the venue was lively.
Aoyama spoke about the work, weaving in a variety of anecdotes.
New Works Arrive—”About Painting 2018″
Although the exhibition was already entering its latter half, there was still empty space between the 31 works mounted on the board, and it was announced that more works would be added.
[1] Tomoo Gokita
The first work was by Tomoo Gokita. The reason it came to be made: a Gokita work happened to be on view within sight of where Aoyama’s piece was displayed. While discussing Gokita’s work, they deliberated over where to map it. After a show of hands from the audience secured its spot, it was fixed onto the board.
[2] Shingo Katori
The second work, appearing as a surprise, was by Shingo Katori.
Recent news reported that a solo exhibition at the Louvre Museum had been confirmed. Aoyama, it turns out, shares a connection with Katori, having taken part together in “Museum of Together” (@Spiral Garden), held in 2017. As for his assessment of Katori’s work, he seems to have the impression that “he draws a good line.”
Aoyama described Shingo Katori as “a really, really good person!” He added, “Precisely because he’s such a good person, I hope he won’t be taken advantage of by odd people.”
On the position map, the work was placed toward the “Personal” end. That it juts out a little past the edge is, perhaps, part of its charm.
His comments were so good that I’ll quote part of them: “Go for it, new map! Smash both the meaning of established art education and the conventions of the art world! And art, at least, I hope can be purely enjoyed without being exploited by odd people.”
Two works created in 2018. With these, the title of the piece will likely be overwritten and updated to “About Painting 2014-2018.” Here’s hoping for still more additions!
