At the Heiwajima Antique Fair

Just a few quick pictures from last week's Antique Fair in Heiwajima for you. Wish you could have been there with me!!

Oh, news flash, Taiken Japan just published my article about the fair. Check it out here!: http://taiken.co/single/hunting-for-treasures-at-the-heiwajima-antique-fair
Yaaay!

The 11th International Poster Triennial 2015 at the Toyama Museum of Modern Art

If you are in Toyama prefecture right now, lucky you, go (or run) and see this special exhibition at the Toyama Museum of Art, it's on until November 23rd. The permanent collection of the museum is also excellent. All this and my head exploded yet again. My head explodes quite frequently these days. I gave my scanner a considerable workout for you, so that your lovely eyes can feast on these beauties.
A few take-outs from the catalogue, enjoy!

Naganeo Yuta
Japan
Life

Miki Ken

Japan

APPLE +

François Caspar

France

The Night, I'm not afraid

K. Domenik Geissbüehler

Switzerland

Palestrina (Oper)

Katarzina Zapart

Poland

Whispering the "alphabet"

Higuchi Yuji

Japan

Amputee Venus show

Koizumi Yumi

Japan

Life of Grape

Chen Jia-Syuan

Taiwan

The children labor

Left: Lin Mei-Xiu

Taiwan

Don't waste food

Right: Cichy Iwona

Poland

Animal abuse, it hurts

Pan Xiao Dong

China

Merge

Lex Drewinski

Germany/Poland

Free Pussy Riot

Elham Hemmat

Iran

My hands just shelter I have

Cheng Zed Cheng

China

Chao Xiaowan Handmade Soap

Nitta Michiko

Japan

twilight window

You Yibin

China

New Lunar Calendar

Ho Wui

China

Memo-missing

Kim Jaehong

Korea

You can recycle!

Ramzani Jamaledin

Iran

Kind thought compassionately of thinking

Chen Hsuan-I

Taiwan

Labeling theory - The true colours

Yamauchi Shunyo

Japan

Alliance

Kawajiri Ryuichi

Japan

Her legs one day. Wait

Saito Hiroshi

Japan

Toyama

Asaba Katsumi

Japan

Asaba's typography

Nagashima Rikako

Japan

Zucca Dayz

and my personal favourite :-))

Fukushima Osamu

Japan

Yamanote Jijosha "Don Juan"

Akasegawa Genpei at Hiroshima MOCA

If the Akasegawa Genpei show is coming to your town I highly recommend a visit. Akasegawa (1937-2014) was a multifaceted and multitalented figure who was active as an avant-garde artist, manga creator, illustrator, writer, and a photographer.

Akasegawa got his start as an avant-garde artist when he helped form the Neo-Dadaism Organisers with Shinohara Ushio, Yoshimura Masunobu and Arakawa Shusaku in 1960. Then, after becoming active in the Hi-Red Center (as one of the three founders) he came to be one of the most prominent representatives of Anti-art.

The Hi-Red Center was closely connected to the Fluxus movement (then in its heyday) with its output dominated by stunts and happenings. An exhibition at MoMA a couple of years ago documented the activity of the Hi-Red Center in relation to Fluxus. If you want to read more about this interesting period in Japan here is a very good article: https://throwoutyourbooks.wordpress.com/2014/03/02/hi-red-center-in-1960s-japan-avant-garde-art-experimental-akasegawa-genpei/

The queen of happenings at the time was of course Yoko Ono, who collaborated with the Hi-Red Center for several projects. Here she is being measured out to get her own tailor made life size shelter (no, not the one above. Below, below!) :-))

Akasegawa's Model 1000 Yen Note series produced around the same time was deemed to be a violation of the Act on the Control of Imitation of Currencies and Securities, and led to a long court battle in 1965. This made Akasegawa's name widely known outside of the art world.

Maria of Waterdrops (1966). A mesmerising piece that shows the extent of his talent.

In 1968, after his appeal in the case had ended, Akasegawa moved into manga and illustration, and following the success of Sakura gaho (Sakura Illustrated) became a standard-bearer of parody manga.

So much poetry…

Later in his career Akasegawa moved on to photography, exploring streets in search of strange objects, constructions, found material etc. The cemented tofu wrap above is one of my favourites in that series (reminds me of Trash Sunday, oh dear…). This was only the start of Akasegawa's photographic work and there would be a lot more to say about his legacy, but I will let you do the research if you are curious :-))