9.19 Sat
"History of Alternative Spaces"
Kazuko Koike × Masami Shiraishi
On September 19, 2009, the second lecture of Tokyo Art School was held with two major pioneers in the Japanese art scene of the 1980’s - creative director Kazuko Koike and the director of SCAI THE BATHHOUSE Masami Shiraishi, as guest speakers.
The first to speak was Kazuko Koike, a creative director recognized widely for her various activities. With slides of exhibitions which took place in the Sagacho Exhibit Space, the first alternative space in Japan, which no longer exists, Koike spoke about the art scene in the 1980’s, situating Sagacho Exhibit Space as a true alternative to the establishment. At the time, there was little chance for contemporary artists to exhibit. Museums exhibited only works by established artists whose values were already fixed historically, while commercial galleries mostly rented their spaces for exhibition. Koike questioned this situation and decided to offer a space for contemporary artists to experiment and show in without restrictions. Struggling to run the space, Koike made the Sagacho Exhibit Space a beacon for those who pursued an alternative way.
The second speaker was Masami Shiraishi, currently the director of SCAI THE BATHHOUSE in Tokyo. He began by comparing the words “gendai bijutsu” (sounds old-fashioned) and ”gendai art” (sounds catchy) to describe the transition of the art scene in Japan during the period of the late 1980s. He mentioned that the introduction of the term ‘contemporary art’ happened only in the last 10 – 20 years, when the media and the public became more interested in the field. Formerly, Japanese contemporary art was excluded from the international art scene and left behind in the world. “Tokyo in the 1980’s had plenty of money but no appeal”, he said. “However I felt a huge potential in Tokyo throughout those times”. Striving to open new avenues for contemporary art Shiraishi became the deputy director of the Touko Museum of Contemporary Art where he succeeded in drawing public attention to contemporary art, with novel exhibitions and sharp commercial skill.
Following these presentations, a discussion between the two ensued, moderated by Roger McDonald of AIT. Like the last lecture, many questions were submitted from the audience.
Through the discussion, interesting problems about the meanings and implications of the alternative were raised. To one question which inquired about “the alternative as opposed to the mainstream”, Koike clearly situated the alternative as an antithesis of the establishment, while Shiraishi acknowledged that he hadn’t been really conscious of the word alternative but recognized alternative spaces as places which showed talent and art of the here and now. Both speakers spoke of the term as something which lay potentially beyond the institutional mainstream. In the art scene of the 1980’s, when Japan had not yet fully appreciated contemporary art, Koike and Shiraishi broke new ground and played key roles in its further development.
The second lecture thus closed successfully. Many thought-provoking and stimulating ideas were presented. Today’s discussion was surely meaningful for the Tokyo Art Point Project.
"History of Alternative Spaces"
Kazuko Koike × Masami Shiraishi
On September 19, 2009, the second lecture of Tokyo Art School was held with two major pioneers in the Japanese art scene of the 1980’s - creative director Kazuko Koike and the director of SCAI THE BATHHOUSE Masami Shiraishi, as guest speakers.
Kazuko Koike
The first to speak was Kazuko Koike, a creative director recognized widely for her various activities. With slides of exhibitions which took place in the Sagacho Exhibit Space, the first alternative space in Japan, which no longer exists, Koike spoke about the art scene in the 1980’s, situating Sagacho Exhibit Space as a true alternative to the establishment. At the time, there was little chance for contemporary artists to exhibit. Museums exhibited only works by established artists whose values were already fixed historically, while commercial galleries mostly rented their spaces for exhibition. Koike questioned this situation and decided to offer a space for contemporary artists to experiment and show in without restrictions. Struggling to run the space, Koike made the Sagacho Exhibit Space a beacon for those who pursued an alternative way.
Masami Shiraishi
The second speaker was Masami Shiraishi, currently the director of SCAI THE BATHHOUSE in Tokyo. He began by comparing the words “gendai bijutsu” (sounds old-fashioned) and ”gendai art” (sounds catchy) to describe the transition of the art scene in Japan during the period of the late 1980s. He mentioned that the introduction of the term ‘contemporary art’ happened only in the last 10 – 20 years, when the media and the public became more interested in the field. Formerly, Japanese contemporary art was excluded from the international art scene and left behind in the world. “Tokyo in the 1980’s had plenty of money but no appeal”, he said. “However I felt a huge potential in Tokyo throughout those times”. Striving to open new avenues for contemporary art Shiraishi became the deputy director of the Touko Museum of Contemporary Art where he succeeded in drawing public attention to contemporary art, with novel exhibitions and sharp commercial skill.
Following these presentations, a discussion between the two ensued, moderated by Roger McDonald of AIT. Like the last lecture, many questions were submitted from the audience.
Through the discussion, interesting problems about the meanings and implications of the alternative were raised. To one question which inquired about “the alternative as opposed to the mainstream”, Koike clearly situated the alternative as an antithesis of the establishment, while Shiraishi acknowledged that he hadn’t been really conscious of the word alternative but recognized alternative spaces as places which showed talent and art of the here and now. Both speakers spoke of the term as something which lay potentially beyond the institutional mainstream. In the art scene of the 1980’s, when Japan had not yet fully appreciated contemporary art, Koike and Shiraishi broke new ground and played key roles in its further development.
The second lecture thus closed successfully. Many thought-provoking and stimulating ideas were presented. Today’s discussion was surely meaningful for the Tokyo Art Point Project.
Summary by Yoshiko Danda (Shikkai-ya Intern)
English proofreading and editing: Roger McDonald (AIT).
Photo: Yukiko Koshima
