me: Obviously No One Can Make Heads Nor Tails
It has been just over a month since the close of “Obviously No One Can Make Heads Nor Tails,” the first solo museum exhibition by the art unit me — a show that stirred up both praise and criticism.
Just as the afterglow of the exhibition is beginning to fade, the catalogue we had pre-ordered arrived by post.
This catalogue is the first ever published by me. It is therefore structured around the record of the exhibition, but past works are included as well. It is also finished with an unusual binding that feels distinctly of me — a one-of-a-kind specification that retains a handmade quality.
Drawing-Signed Catalogue
This specially produced Drawing-Signed Catalogue was sold in a limited edition of only 50 copies, priced at 20,000 yen. It is said that most of the sale price goes to me as activity funds.
It is finished by hand by me’s Kojin and Minamikawa, giving it the feel of a precious art object in its own right.
This Drawing-Signed Catalogue is made using materials that were used in the exhibition and items found on-site at the venue.
For a comparison of the covers of the regular and special editions, please refer to the following photo. Note that the special edition is produced individually for each edition, and its contents vary from copy to copy. *You can compare left and right using the slider — on a smartphone, please operate with your finger.
Drawings
As a “Drawing-Signed Catalogue,” each of the 50 editions apparently bears a different drawing. Drawings and special decorations are scattered throughout the catalogue in multiple places.
*As for the crucial edition number, is it a 7 or a 9…? Obviously, no one can make heads nor tails.
There was also a page labeled “Scapers.” Perhaps drawn by the Scapers themselves?
Summary
Just like the “Obviously No One Can Make Heads Nor Tails” exhibition itself, there are parts of the book you cannot clearly figure out unless you compare it with the regular edition, and I found myself poring over it as if searching for hidden differences.
With charming drawings, tape and materials used in the exhibition, and above all a substantive selection that includes past works, the high level of finish only adds to its value. It is an unprecedented, unconventional catalogue that combines papers of different materials, sizes, and thicknesses. The regular edition has already sold out, and it is likely to attract attention as a catalogue whose value will only rise from here.
Details
me
“Obviously No One Can Make Heads Nor Tails” exhibition catalogue
Special Edition — Drawing-Signed Catalogue
Price: 20,000 yen (tax included) *Includes activity funds for me
Editing: kontakt Takuto Kawashima, Runa Anzai, Victor Leclère
Art direction: Kei Sakawaki
Design: Hiroaki Hidaka
Binding: Shinohara Shiko
Publisher: Chiba City Museum of Art
