NACT nods to contempo art stars

The exhibit ‘Artist File 2010: The NACT Annual Show of Contemporary Art’, currently being held at the National Art Center, is perfect for people who are interested in contemporary art but haven’t a clue where to start. With just a glance at the lineup of participating artists, it is quite clear that they have been selected more with an eye towards variety, than in an effort to fit into some sort of theme based around age, nationality, or style. And with this much variety under one roof, even the most inexperienced of art fans is bound to be able to get a feel for that indefinable “now” of modern art.

O JUN, 3m (detail), 2006-2007, pigment, Japanese pigment, gouache on paper Photo: Shinjiro Yamada

Veteran painter O JUN is one of the artists included in the exhibit. With almost 100 pieces being shown, ranging from works completed in the 80s to much more recent pieces, it gives off the feel of a retrospective. Works that impart a fluffy quality to people, boats, and architecture, amongst other aspects of the backdrop to everyday life, have been hung almost willy-nilly, practically all the way up to the ceiling. There is a feeling in the room that is at the same time comforting and unsettling, as if one has been released from the overwhelming feeling of presence.

The younger artists included in the exhibit are especially worth keeping an eye on. The paintings of Toru Kuwakubo, with their clear references to the oil paintings of modern Western art, provide a lynchpin between fantasy and reality. Naoyo Fukuda’s objets d’art (letters, palindromes, books, and other language related works), try to capture whatever it is that is always hidden beneath the written word. The other artists on display contribute sculpture, photography, and film, their different views of the ‘now’ laid out as they best see fit.

The exhibit is set up as if it were a series of consecutive solo exhibitions, so while you are engaged with an individual piece, you can really experience that particular artist’s idiosyncratic view. It should not be that hard to find at least one artist you can enjoy at this exhibit, even if you do not know a lot about modern art.

‘Artist File 2010: The NACT Annual Show of Contemporary Art’
Location: The National Art Center Tokyo (Full details & map)
Date: Wed Mar 3-Wed (nat. holiday)May 5
s: Mon, Wed-Thur, Sat-Sun 10am−6pm, Fri 10am−8pm, closed Tue (except May 4), last entry 30 minutes before closing
Note: Open until 11pm on Sat Mar 27 in conjunction with Roppongi Art Night 2010

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