“ShimoumArt – mai collection” is very special to me as it is to be the last ShimoumArt exhibition, of which I am the curator and organizer.
It sums up three years of collecting and becomes in this way different from the earlier ”ShimoumArt” exhibitions at café ”gardenn”, which I have curated. Different in several ways. Not only are we presenting twelve artists and not four as in the preceding shows, but the focus is different, too. This actually is – also - a show about collecting, about developing a fascination with contemporary, especially young, Japanese art.
During the past years, we feel, we have developed an eye, a taste and a liking for the Tokyo art scene and its manifold manifestations. We have been impressed by the individual expressions of the 12 artists shown here, who stand for the plurality of young Japanese artists in general. Even these twelve would be difficult to categorize. Very early, we realized, that there are few fashions and trends, individual expression is prevailing. So, diversity was a criterion, seize – keeping future display in Denmark in mind - was another and, preferably, a connection with Japanese culture and tradition, be it in motive or technique.
Young art can be found in many places. There are the established galleries with their knowledgeable and helpful staff; there are the art fairs, “art markets” like Geisai, institutions like Tokyo Wondersite, graduation exhibitions of the art universities, award shows, to mention some of them. We have tried to follow different paths to find something to add to our collection. And everywhere one can meet the artists – open, eager to explain their work. We have often been impressed by their engagement and dedication.
Some of the artists have become friends and with all of them it has been interesting to follow their work. In the exhibition, we show one work from our collection together with two new works by the same artist. That may - in the works of some artists - illustrate, how their style has changed, how new motives have appeared.
The idea of the earlier “ShimoumArt” exhibitions has been to give the guests of café “gardenn” the opportunity to meet art and artists, here – through the collection – they can also meet a collector, see, how a collection has developed and grown.
With the exhibited works of the collection together with the artists´ new works we want to inspire potential collectors to see the possibility of not only looking at art in galleries and museums, but also in familiar places like a café and - in one´s own home.
I want to thank all the contributing artists and especially Taiga Amano, the owner of café “gardenn”, without whose interest and active support the Shimoumart exhibitions would not have been possible.
When the exhibition ends, “mai collection” will be moved to Denmark and tell its tale there.
Write, if possible, your comments in English, please – as I am not able to read Japanese!
Dr. Georg Albrecht Mai
Shimouma, August 2011
