TBS’s “Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai (Matsuko’s World)”
I watched “Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai — Contemporary Art You Can Buy!” featuring the well-known art collector Daisuke Miyazu.
Coverage of contemporary art collecting on a nationwide broadcast is a rare occasion, and I had been looking forward to it.
Titled “Contemporary Art You Can Buy!,” the segment was designed to present contemporary artworks as something within reach. Casting Daisuke Miyazu, a salaryman collector, was a good fit for the concept: his perspective is close to that of an ordinary viewer.
I too found Mr. Miyazu’s book “Let’s Buy Contemporary Art!” a fascinating read. It is a beloved book that stirred my interest in art collecting and continues to fuel the energy of my own collector activities.
Enjoy the Thrill of Watching a Work Worth Tens of Thousands of Yen Multiply Hundreds of Times — Together with the Artist!
The theme of the program was “Enjoy the thrill of watching a work worth tens of thousands of yen multiply hundreds of times — together with the artist!” A theme framed around price and appreciation is one thing, but the fact that it left out the “viewer’s perspective” that art fundamentally deserves felt a little concerning.
It’s a primetime terrestrial broadcast, so given the pressure of ratings, this may have been the only line the show could take.
The best-known piece in Mr. Miyazu’s collection is Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Nets.” He purchased it for 5 million yen; today it is said to be worth 500 million yen.
The book I mentioned earlier also recounts the episode of that purchase.
The scenes of him agonizing over the purchase despite having no money come back vividly.
His home holds works by a wide range of artists.
It is the culmination of one of the joys of contemporary art — direct dialogue and relationships with artists.
The program introduced several works from Mr. Miyazu’s collection, including a number by Yayoi Kusama.
Three Recommended Artists
Under the banner of “seek out the rough diamonds!” the show introduced three artists: photographer Yosuke Takeda, Wang Haiyang, and Samak Kosem.
Yosuke Takeda was teased by Matsuko for looking different from his profile photo.
Auctions and galleries were introduced as recommended places to buy, but art fairs were most strongly recommended.
In Summary
As the central theme suggests — “Enjoy the thrill of watching a work worth tens of thousands of yen multiply hundreds of times — together with the artist!” — the show’s core message was find works that are likely to go up in value!
Given that Mr. Miyazu’s Yayoi Kusama holdings really did jump from a little over a million yen or from 5 million yen to 500 million yen, the experience is exceptional, and it speaks to a superb collector’s eye.
At the same time, unless the work is sold, no profit is realized, and the essence of art is the experiential value obtained through appreciating the work. In order that buying art with an investor’s eye does not become the mainstream, some tempering of the show’s framing, or a few complementary comments, might have been welcome.
Because the presentation leaned heavily on money, from Mr. Miyazu’s perspective as a collector, this may not have been the most flattering TV appearance. On the other hand, the ripple effect of a primetime program will surely lift his name recognition and help promote the artists in his collection, so in the end it should work out well.
