The Tokyo Contemporary Art Award (TCAA) was established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS) arts centre in 2018 to support the work of mid-career artists in Japan over several years, including the funding of overseas research activities. This exhibition showcases the works of TCAA 2021-2023 award winners Lieko Shiga and Kota Takeuchi, and starts on March 18 2023 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
The exhibition title incorporates the phrase 'Waiting for the Wind', which originated out of the dialogue between Shiga and Takeuchi. The works of both artists may be different in direction, but they share a common understanding as Shiga and Takeuchi are both based in areas that have been affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.
Through a map of coastal areas extending northeast from Tokyo to Aomori, Shiga visualises the 12 years of reconstruction efforts in Miyagi prefecture through a collage of photographs, drawings and notes, with focus on her own constantly-changing thoughts. Shiga’s work reflects essential elements of modern society, including the concepts of human nature, centre and periphery, loss and grief, regulation and freedom as well as harmony with nature.
Takeuchi’s new work, on the other hand, is based on his research on balloon bombs, a weapon used by the Japanese military against the United States during World War II. His life-sized balloon installation is made from photographs of the ground in the US where the balloons landed.
The work will be exhibited alongside ‘Demolition of Mihako Theater’ (2013), a video installation that shows the demolition process of the Mihako Theater in Iwaki, Fukushima prefecture, which couldn’t be preserved due to severe damage from the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Iwaki is also one of the sites where the balloon bombs were released from on their journey to the US during WWII.
For more details and thoughts behind each artwork, don’t miss the talk session between the two artists and Carol Yinghua Lu, the director of the Beijing Inside-Out Art Museum and one of the TCAA 2021-2023 selection committee members. The event, which is simultaneously interpreted in Japanese and English, takes place on March 19 2023 between 2pm and 3.30pm at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. Entry is free, but you’ll need to make a reservation in advance.
To commemorate the exhibition, bilingual monographs for each winner will be published with images of their works, statements on each piece, as well as explanations of their creative process. You won’t be able to purchase the monographs, however, PDF copies will be available to download via the website at the end of March 2023.
For more information about the exhibition, check the event website.
Organised by Tokyo Arts and Space and Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (both of which are affiliated with the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) as well as the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.