Yokohama Museum of Art, one of the two venues for the “Yokohama Triennale 2014." Displayed in front is Wim Delvoye’s Flatbed Trailer, 2007. All photos by Elaine W. Ng for ArtAsiaPacific.
Upon entering the main venue, Yokohama Museum of Art, the first work one encounters is Young British Artist MICHAEL LANDY’s Art Bin (2010/2014). Here, audience members are invited to climb to the top of a monumental trash receptacle and dump any unwanted art.
Young British Artist MICHAEL LANDY’s Art Bin (2010/2014). Here, audience members are invited to climb to the top of a monumental trash receptacle and dump any unwanted art.
One of the few works that spoke to the theme of the chapter entitled “Listening to Silence and Whispers” was ISA GENZKEN’s World Receiver (2011), which is part of a series of works that she began in 1982. At first glance the installation looks like an old transistor radio, but in fact it is a simple replica made of concrete. The catalogue describes the work as “a devise that encourages us to reflect on the massive volume of information and energy contained even in a mute block of hard concrete, and on the true weight and depth of silence.”
The second chapter of the festival, “Encountering a Drifting Classroom,” features a learning platform called Kama Gei, organized by Osaka-based nonprofit The Room for Full of Voice, Words and Hearts (Cocoroom). For the Triennale, Kama Gei—originally conceived in the Kamagasaki district of Osaka, known for its aging population and high levels of unemployment—provided workshops for instructors and participants of any background to share and learn from each other. During the three months of the Triennale, classes open to the public included philosophy, astronomy and poetry. Here, visitors are seen participating in the interactive installation “Is THAT your choice instead of my meals?”
The third chapter, “ART Fahrenheit 451,” included DORA GARCIA’s installation Fahrenheit 451 (1957) (2002), comprising duplicated paperbacks of Ray Bradbury’s famous sci-fi novel; however, all copies were printed with the text displayed backwards.
Also in “ART Fahrenheit 451” was the artist book Moe Nai Ko To Ba (The Only Book in the World), 2014, a homage to Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Here visitors were able to step onto a special podium to view the book, one at a time, and peruse the collection of texts and artworks by eight individual artists—including artistic director Yasumasa Morimura. At the end of the Triennale, the book will be destroyed in an “Annihilation Performance.”
The artist book Moe Nai Ko To Ba (The Only Book in the World), 2014, a homage to Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, displayed in “ART Fahrenheit 451." Here visitors were able to step onto a special podium to view the book, one at a time, and peruse the collection of texts and artworks by eight individual artists—including artistic director Yasumasa Morimura. At the end of the Triennale, the book will be destroyed in an “Annihilation Performance.”
The artist book Moe Nai Ko To Ba (The Only Book in the World), 2014, a homage to Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, displayed in “ART Fahrenheit 451." Here visitors were able to step onto a special podium to view the book, one at a time, and peruse the collection of texts and artworks by eight individual artists—including artistic director Yasumasa Morimura. At the end of the Triennale, the book will be destroyed in an “Annihilation Performance.”
MICHAEL RAKOWITZ’s 2012 installation What Dust Will Rise? recreates books from a library in Kassel, Germany, which were destroyed during a 1941 bombing, using stone from the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan, which were demolished by the Taliban regime in 2001.
Entering the fourth chapter, “Laboring in Solitude, Wrestling with the World,” visitors encountered 78-year-old Osaka-based artist Michio Fukuoka’s sculptures, Why Did I Ever Fly? (1965–66), and paintings covered with the phrase “Nothing to do.”
MASUNOBU YOSHIMURA’s Pig; Pig’ Lib; (1994) a taxidermy pig sliced in half with its lower body mutating into ham. Yoshimura was the founder of the 1960s group Neo Dadaism Organizers and known for his confrontational anti-art practice.
The final two chapters, “Days after Deluge” and “Drifting in a Sea of Oblivion,” took place at Shinko Pier. A significant section was dedicated to EMIKO KASAHARA’s 10-year project Offering – Maria, Offering – Lucia, Offering – Theresa, Offering – Clara, Offering – Agnes (2009), consisting of photographs and sculptures based on alms-giving boxes and baskets.
The final two chapters, “Days after Deluge” and “Drifting in a Sea of Oblivion,” took place at Shinko Pier. A significant section was dedicated to EMIKO KASAHARA’s 10-year project Offering – Maria, Offering – Lucia, Offering – Theresa, Offering – Clara, Offering – Agnes (2009), consisting of photographs and sculptures based on alms-giving boxes and baskets.
Working since the 1970s, Korean artist KIM YONGIK uses simple materials such as cardboard and plywood to explore the process of trying to express oneself.
Working since the 1970s, Korean artist KIM YONGIK uses simple materials such as cardboard and plywood to explore the process of trying to express oneself. This canvas is an accumulation of artistic gestures over time—painted, erased, recoated—which explore the solitary activity of an artist.
One of the biggest highlights of the Triennale was SHINRO OHTAKE’s new massive installation, which is described as a “boat book” and entitled Retinamnesia Filtration Shed (2014). Here, this psychedelic sculptural mélange pieces together a small boat, a disco ball, paintings and photographic collages by the artist, as well as mechanical moving parts. The work is enveloping and offers a small glimpse into Ohtake’s madcap imagination. © Shinro Ohtake. Courtesy of Take Ninagawa, Tokyo.
One of the biggest highlights of the Triennale was SHINRO OHTAKE’s new massive installation, which is described as a “boat book” and entitled Retinamnesia Filtration Shed (2014). Here, this psychedelic sculptural mélange pieces together a small boat, a disco ball, paintings and photographic collages by the artist, as well as mechanical moving parts. The work is enveloping and offers a small glimpse into Ohtake’s madcap imagination. © Shinro Ohtake. Courtesy of Take Ninagawa, Tokyo.
The show begins and concludes with GIMHONGSOK ’s 8 Breaths (everyday monument) (2014)—a tower of eight blue balloons made from bronze.
