On Monday December 7, 2015, a special viewing event of Nissan Art Award 2015 works was held for Mori Art Museum Membership Program MAMC.
The “Nissan Art Award” is a biennial award presented to an emerging generation of Japanese artists to encourage their career, enhance their presence in the international art world and create a social environment where people familiarize themselves with art and culture.
With Mori Art Museum Director Nanjo Fumio being head of the judging panel for this second Nissan Art Award, talks by 4 of the finalists were arranged for MAMC members to coincide with a tour of the “Nissan Art Award 2015: New Works by Seven Finalists” exhibition on view at BankART Studio NYK from Saturday, November 14 to Sunday, December 27, 2015.
The following is a photo report of the event.
Appearing at the event were from left, the four finalists (Ishida Takashi, Akiyama Sayaka, Miyagi Futoshi, Mohri Yuko), Nishitani Eriko (Nissan Art Award PR), Shiomi Yuko (Nissan Art Award secretariat, Art Initiative Tokyo [AIT] Director), Nanjo Fumio (Nissan Art Award Jury Chairman, Mori Art Museum Director).
14 MAMC members attended this event, which kicked off at 6 p.m. on a weekday evening.
The gallery tour was guided by Shiomi Yuko, who is involved in Nissan Art Award planning and operations and is also director of the non-profit Art Initiative Tokyo [AIT], which oversees the MAD contemporary art school, among other ventures.
Shiomi Yuko explains Yoneda Tomoko's Two entwined pines beyond the border fence (the northeastern front line, Goseong, South Korea from DMZ series).
The 4 finalists participating in the event provided unscheduled commentaries on their own works, a rare treat indeed for gallery-goers.
Mohri Yuko apparently got the inspiration for her Grand Prix-winning work Moré Moré (Leaky): The Falling Water Given #1-3 from Marcel Duchamp's The Large Glass, and hearing straight from the artist behind-the-scenes stories not included in the List of Works must surely be the ultimate art experience.
Iwasaki Takahiro's Out of Disorder: Nothing grew for 70 years? The work is made using human hair, including that of Mohri Yuko, of all people.
Ishida Takashi's Square Window. Ishida himself is standing, silhouetted, to the left of the work.
Miyagi Futoshi discusses his work 17 Notes from the South. On display is a series of five works from the “American Boyfriend” project he has been working on since 2012.
Akiyama Sayaka explains her EROSION 9.1 19 29 10.3 11.7 8 13 inside the tent-like space that forms the work, noting that she sewed the corsage she wore at the award ceremony onto the ceiling as a final touch.
Hisakado Tsuyoshi's Quantize #5, winner of the Audience Award, uses sound, light and wind to express spatial variations. Everyone was eerily silent in this space.
The discussion that followed the gallery tour began with Shiomi talking about the Nissan Art Award, the differences between the first and second Awards, the prizes and so on. In addition to the prize money, Grand Prix winner Mohri Yuko would be given the opportunity to pursue her practice in London for two months this year (2016), with help from the Camden Arts Centre. Each artist then introduced their work again, and spoke about their background, and what they have in the pipeline for their practice.
It would have been wonderful to hear more, but unfortunately things were a little rushed at the end. The artists got on well with each other, and there was a real sense of the 7 finalists owning the exhibition themselves.
Director Nanjo Fumio had some interesting comments to make about Japan's contemporary art scene.
Using a projector to show the works.
Miyagi Futoshi and Mohri Yuko, who participated in the event, are presenting their work at “Roppongi Crossing 2016: My Body, Your Voice” at the Mori Art Museum which started on Saturday, March 26, 2016. It will be great to see more new work from these 2 talented artists.
Text: Imamura Akiko (Marketing Group, Mori Art Museum)
■Relevant Information
・MAMC Membership
・Mori Art Museum
“Roppongi Crossing 2016: My Body, Your Voice”
Period: from Saturday, March 26 - Sunday, July 10, 2016.
・MAMC Members-only Event! “Nissan Art Award 2015 Special Viewing” on Dec. 7. Enjoy viewing & talk event by Nanjo Fumio and Finalists!
