Art Fair Tokyo 2019
Japan’s largest international art fair, “Art Fair Tokyo 2019 (AFT2019),” has been announced.
Now in its 14th edition, “Art Fair Tokyo 2019” takes “Art Life” as its theme and will be held March 7–10, 2019, at the same venue as last year, Tokyo International Forum.
“Art Fair Tokyo 2019” will double the exhibition footprint of the Tokyo International Forum Lobby Gallery over last year, introduce a new sales section “Crossing,” and host “Projects” — a section presenting emerging notable artists in solo-show format. In addition, two special exhibitions that received acclaim last time will return at expanded scale: the embassy-collaboration program “World Art Tokyo” and the domestic art-university collaboration “Future Artists Tokyo.”
“Art Life”
Art Fair Tokyo 2019 takes “Art Life” as its theme.
When facing art, viewers reexamine their own interests and thinking; art can be a trigger for reconsidering why we are drawn to it and for rethinking our own beliefs and way of life. As values diversify and industries and cultures cross paths in complex ways, we believe that art can influence life and play a role in pointing to the future.
We hope that Art Fair Tokyo 2019 will become a place for encounters and dialogue for each visitor and a starting point for a richer life.
New Section “Crossing”
Doubling last year’s footprint, the new section “Crossing” makes its debut in the public space of Tokyo International Forum, which serves as the entrance to AFT2019.
Bringing together diverse fields of art, “Crossing” gathers a wide range of art genres — including department-store planned booths representing Japan, regional craft groups that carry hundreds of years of tradition and the culture of each Japanese region, and outsider art and talent artists expressing diverse values — and communicates the latest Japanese art scene.
At the Tokyo International Forum B1F Lobby Gallery, “Projects,” which introduces emerging young artists in solo-show format, will again be held this year following last year’s edition.
World Art Tokyo
“World Art Tokyo” is an international exhibition that sends artists recommended by each country’s ambassador to Japan out from Japan to the world.
First held last year, the number of participating countries has been substantially expanded, from 9 to 33.
The 33 distinctive artists will be brought together by two curators from the Global Arts Program, Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.
[Participating Embassies] 33 countries: Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Embassy of the Argentine Republic, Embassy of the Republic of Benin, Embassy of the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Embassy of Brazil, Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Japan, Embassy of the Republic of Colombia, Embassy of the Republic of Croatia, Embassy of the Republic of Cuba, Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Embassy of Finland / Finland Center, Embassy of France / Institut français du Japon – Villa Kujoyama, Embassy of the Republic of Honduras, Embassy of Hungary, Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, Embassy of the State of Israel, Embassy of Italy, Embassy of Jamaica, Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Embassy of the Republic of Macedonia, Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar, Embassy of the Republic of Maldives, Embassy of the United Mexican States, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Embassy of New Zealand, Embassy of the Republic of Panama, Embassy of the Republic of Paraguay, Embassy of the Republic of Serbia, Embassy of the Republic of South Africa, Embassy of Spain, Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia, Embassy of Ukraine (as of 2018/10/2)
Future Artists Tokyo
“Future Artists Tokyo” is an exhibition created primarily by student teams from Japanese art universities.
For this second edition, works by students from 19 art universities across the country — more than double the 6 universities of the inaugural edition — will be presented.
A curator team organized by students from those universities will direct everything from work selection to exhibition-concept development and on-site display. Universities across the country will transcend the boundaries of their respective departments, and through student exchanges they will create a place where new stimuli are born.
[Participating Universities] Aichi University of the Arts (Aichi), Akita University of Art (Akita), Onomichi City University (Hiroshima), Kanazawa College of Art (Ishikawa), Kyushu Sangyo University (Fukuoka), Kyoto City University of Arts (Kyoto), Saga University (Saga), Joshibi University of Art and Design (Tokyo), Tama Art University (Tokyo), University of Tsukuba (Ibaraki), Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo), Tokyo Zokei University (Tokyo), Tohoku University of Art and Design (Yamagata), Tokoha University (Shizuoka), Nagoya Zokei University (Aichi), Nihon University College of Art (Tokyo), Musashino Art University (Tokyo), Hiroshima City University (Hiroshima), Yokohama University of Art and Design (Kanagawa) (19 universities, in Japanese syllabary order)
Overview
Art Fair Tokyo 2019
Organizers: Art Tokyo Association, TV Tokyo Corporation, BS TV Tokyo Corporation
Content: Exhibition and sale of artworks by domestic and international commercial galleries
Dates: Thursday, March 7 – Sunday, March 10, 2019 (4 days) (Last admission 30 minutes before closing on each day)
Press Preview: Thursday, March 7, 13:00–14:00
Private View: Thursday, March 7, 14:00–16:00
Vernissage: Thursday, March 7, 16:00–20:00
Public View: Friday, March 8 & Saturday, March 9, 11:00–20:00 / Sunday, March 10, 11:00–17:00
* All times are provisional.
Venue: Tokyo International Forum Hall E
Admission: Advance / 1DAY passport 4,000 yen (tax incl.); Same-day / 1DAY passport 5,000 yen (tax incl.) (Free admission for elementary school children and younger when accompanied by an adult)
