Bur@rt Diary
Bur@rt Diary is published every Monday morning.
It is a diary-style column in which the editor-in-chief of art on jots down thoughts on art and everyday favorites and reflections. Please read it in your spare moments.
Last weekend I was in Kyoto, visiting Kyoto University of Art and Design and Kyoto City University of Arts, among others. The graduation and completion exhibitions at Kyoto University of Art and Design are as interesting as ever. Last year I went during the latter half of the run, but this time I joined the Artotheque tour on the day before the exhibition opened — a delightful program with commentary by Professor Tsubaki. His explanations were so skillful that I ended up buying several works, as if drawn along by his enthusiasm. Many thanks to everyone I spoke with and spent time with in Kyoto.
That said, although Kyoto is a city I visit relatively often, there were very few people around. I suspect the effect of the novel coronavirus. It felt as though the Kyoto economy was being significantly impacted. It is worrying.
Next I will be attending “ARTISTS’ FAIR KYOTO 2020.” There are so many exciting programs that I am looking forward to it.
Thinking about the difficulty of contemporary art
The other day I visited the group exhibition “The Sazae-do of 2020 — Contemporary Spirals and 100 Paintings” held at the Ota City Museum of Art and Library.
At the opening reception, the Ota City mayor gave a greeting in which he joked that he “didn’t really understand” the works on display. Given that abstract artist Daisuke Takahashi had as many as 100 works on show, that was probably the honest impression of someone unfamiliar with art.
Also, on the Kyoto University of Art and Design tour I mentioned earlier, a group from a certain public organization was also participating, and they too were elderly people unfamiliar with art. Walking along and viewing the works with them, the comments that reached my ears were things like, “I really don’t get it.”
Since Japan has arts-and-crafts and fine-arts classes but no education in art appreciation, this kind of reaction may be only natural.
Following on from the recent Yuichi Hirako show (WAITINGROOM), a fellow collector realized a second audio-guide project for Toru Ishii’s solo exhibition “Collage and Staining” (venue: Courtyard HIROO). The project is called “Kiitemiru.” I hope this initiative spreads further and deepens understanding of contemporary art.
In closing
The cancellation of Art Basel Hong Kong was unfortunate. It must be especially disappointing for the artists who had planned solo-booth presentations. I would have liked to see Teppei Takeda’s work.
This week Yukimasa Ida’s solo show opens. Let’s keep at it!
art on Editor-in-Chief
Mahiro Kobayashi
