ARTOTHÈQUE
We paid a visit to “ARTOTHÈQUE,” the campus gallery of Kyoto University of Art and Design.
The writer visited shortly after its opening, during the two-day ARTOTHÈQUE OPEN GALLERY event (August 30–31, 2019), an invitation-only opening program.
ARTOTHÈQUE reportedly means “art library” in French.
For the opening program, works by alumni and current students of Kyoto University of Art and Design were exhibited and offered for sale.
A proper price list was prepared, and sold works were marked with red dot stickers—a style very much reminiscent of a commercial gallery.
The director of ARTOTHÈQUE is Noboru Tsubaki, who is also a professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design.
The director himself gave attentive explanations of the works on display and introduced pieces held in storage, making it an incredibly rewarding space for art lovers.
We were also told that they accept commissioned work, and were shown examples of pieces produced in response to corporate orders.
Summary
Kyoto University of Art and Design is known for its distinctive educational approach. From the moment students enroll, the university emphasizes a professional mindset with a focus on “selling.”
Opinions may be divided on this policy when viewed from a purely arts-education perspective. However, ARTOTHÈQUE’s initiative has already drawn significant attention from art collectors—on opening day, visitors reportedly flooded the space to a degree resembling a packed commuter train (director Noboru Tsubaki noted that the indoor humidity even exceeded 80%).
It left the impression that this initiative is likely to have a major impact on Kyoto’s art scene.
There was a sense that the energy of many artists and works would radiate outward from this place.
Overview
ARTOTHÈQUE
Location: Kyoto University of Art and Design (2-116 Uryuyama Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture)
Director: Noboru Tsubaki
Advisory: Daisuke Ohba, Kengo Kito, Kohei Nawa, Mariko Takeuchi
Management: Akiyo Yagyu
Photography: Saki Maehata, Kensuke Ko
Graphics: Koya Tamura
Operating Body: Kyoto University of Art and Design
