Art Fair Tokyo, 20 – 22 March, 2015

Art Fair Tokyo returns this spring, running 20-22 March. The event enters into its 10th year and to celebrate this milestone event graphic designer Masayoshi Kodaira has produced the visuals for the fair, creating a “window” to look at the future of Tokyo. With just five years until the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, the design invites people to re-examine their perception of Tokyo in anticipation of this sporting and cultural event.

The fair will play host to around 140 exhibitors consisting of galleries from 30 cities worldwide, as well as other partners. This year will see the largest number of galleries partipating in the fair yet, with 26 galleries partipating. Following the layout of previous years, the venue will be divided into two sections – the North and South Wings.

The North Wing will feature around 90 booths and a range of galleries exhibiting both antiques and modern artworks from around the world. This year’s fair entrace will showcase appliedart, making the fair a rare chance for visitors to encounter the unique expression techniques in Japanese crafts. The South Wing will host an estimated 40 galleries dealing solely in contemporary art, curated with visitor experience in mind. The wing will also feature popular examples of jewelery.

The Artistic Practices section has been expanded and will take an overview of Japanese contemporary art hosting 24 artists from the Rimpa and Venice Biennale schools. Artistic Practices was founded in 2011 with the intention of showcasing Japanese creativity in art, inspired by th idea that artistic experiements take place in every medium. 2015 marks 400 years of the Rimpa school of painting, creating the foundations for a movement that spread overseas and has had a huge influence on international art- from Impressionism to contemporary design. Re-examinig the historical context of Japanese fine art, this section of the fair will showcase vibrant and playful works by nine artists.

The Venice Biennale section of the fair takes an overview of Japanese contemporary art from a global perspective, showcasing the work of 15 Japanese artists who have exhibited at the Venice Biennale on two themes: Contemporary Diversity and Twentieth-Century Mono-ha. Artists include Yasumasa Morimura, Tomoko Yoneda and Toshikatsu Endo.

Tokyo Art Fair, 20-22 March, Tokyo International Forum, B2F Exhibition Hall.

Credits
1. Chiharu Shiota, State of Being (Frame), 2015 ©Chiharu Shiota, Photo by Sunhi Mang, Courtesy of KENJI TAKI GALLERY.