Sensory Cells 2019
Kyoji Takubo
August 24 – October 5, 2019
KOTARO NUKAGA, Tennoz
KOTARO NUKAGA is pleased to present Kyoji Takubo’s solo exhibition “Sensory Cells 2019” from August 24 to October 5.
This retrospective traces Takubo’s creative journey to realize what he calls ‘Sensory Cells’ through works from every stage of his career, including the early objets d’art in the 1970s and the original paintings for the more recent project of a mural mosaic at the University of Sacred Heart, Tokyo.
Takubo has built a reputation as one of the most important Post Mono-ha artists with his series of performative events in the early 1970s. At the Venice Biennale in 1984, he represented Japan presenting sculptures made from scrap wood engraved with traces of actions and memories, which was then covered with gold foil.
With ‘Absolute Scene – 1987’ as a turning point, he started to dedicate himself to long term projects in which he would attach himself closely to specific landscapes. The restoration of a small abandoned chapel in Normandy took him 11 years after he moved to the village in France with his family.
After returning to Japan, with his creative force still driving strong, he has been undertaking many projects including ‘The Kotohirayama Regeneration Project’ in Shikoku and the large-scale mural mosaic project at the University of Sacred Heart. His ongoing creative journey led him to a unique concept in which he aims to achieve ‘Landscape Art’ with ‘Sensory Cells’. The cells which exist in his daily life, will then unite with the surroundings and history of a certain place, and will keep regenerating to live even after the death of the artist. The oeuvre of Takubo is intrinsically the result of the interaction between the artist and his ‘Sensory Cells’.
In this exhibition, ‘Sensory Cells’ are visualized as square blocks called CORQ®︎ spread over the gallery floor, and will be rearranged by the artist several times, as well as during the opening reception on September 7. Sharing the process of regeneration at the gallery in addition to the exhibition featuring drawings, objets d’art, a model of ‘the chapel of the apple trees’ and more, the show encourages the viewer to perceive ‘Sensory Cells’ in every work.
ARTIST
DATE
August 24 – October 5, 2019 11:00-18:00 (Tue, Wed, Thu + Sat) 11:00-20:00 (Fri) *Closed on Sun, Mon and Public Holidays
VENUE
Open Studio／Opening Reception
Open Studio September 7, 17:00〜 Venue : KOTARO NUKAGA Opening Reception September 7, 18:00〜 Venue : KOTARO NUKAGA