“Chiharu Shiota: Between Worlds” Events

Japanese Art at the Museum: Workshop and Seminar
Saturday, November 9, 2024

Program:

11.00–12.30 Sumi-e Workshop
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14.00–15.00 Seminar: “Contemporary Japanese Installation Art: Between Matter and Space” 
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15.30–17.00 Sumi-e Workshop
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Venue: Istanbul Modern Auditorium and Event Rooms

The first public event of Chiharu Shiota’s solo exhibition “Between Worlds,” organized as part of the Centenary of the Establishment of Japan-Türkiye Diplomatic Relations in collaboration with the Japan Foundation and hosted by Istanbul Modern, features Japanese art historian and curator Ryosuke Kondo. On Saturday, November 9, Kondo will lead workshops on Japanese ink art, Sumi-e, from 11.00 to 12.30 and 15.30 to 17.00. At 14.00, he will also share his research on practices in contemporary Japanese installation art with visitors.

About Japanese Sumi-e Workshop:

Today, Japanese paintings are generally known as nihonga, but this term was coined during the modern era, i.e., during the Meiji period (1868–1912). Nihonga, which was intended to “modernize” Japanese painting, is characterized by the use of traditional paints, hence delicate and gentle colors. In pre-modern Japanese painting, however, sumi-e (ink painting) was the predominant form of expression, featuring shades of black ink and dynamic lines of brush strokes. At the Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko (now Tokyo University of the Arts), which led art education in modern Japan, the practice of brush drawing was actively practiced in the Nihonga Department until the early 20th century. In this workshop, after an overview of the history of Japanese painting, participants will experience actual sumi-e painting with sumi ink and brush, referring to a copybook used at the Tokyo Bijutsu Gakko.
Due to limited capacity, participants may reserve a spot in only one of the two workshop sessions.
Photography and video shooting permissions will be requested from the workshop participants.
Workshop materials will be supplied by the museum.
The workshop will be in English.
The workshop is not suitable for participants under 18 years old.

About the Seminar:
Contemporary Japanese Installation Art: Between Matter and Space

Installation art is becoming increasingly dominant in the contemporary world, lightly crossing existing mediums such as painting, sculpture, and video. Free from their frames, plinths, and even screens, as well as integrated into the space, it encourages viewers to have a physical experience rather than being mere viewers. In Japan, installation art began to be produced in the 1960s by the Mono-ha school, among others. Half a century later, how has Japanese installation art changed? This seminar will decipher the characteristics of contemporary installation art through the introduction of Japanese artists, including Takashi Ishida, Shinji Ohmaki, Chiharu Shiota, and Rei Naito.

The event is free of charge.
Simultaneous translation will be provided.
Attendance is limited due to seating capacity.

About Ryosuke Kondo:

Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1982, Ryosuke Kondo is an art critic and curator based in Tokyo. He holds a B.A. from the Slade School of Fine Art and an M.A. from the University of Tokyo. After serving as a Fulbright visiting researcher at Harvard Graduate School of Design and an assistant professor at the University of Tokyo, he is currently an adjunct lecturer at the Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts.

Kondo specializes in the aesthetics and history of landscape, and his research primarily concerns the intersections of art, gardens, and architecture. He has regularly contributed to contemporary art exhibitions and publications, including “Tomohito Ishii: Icarus and the Spirit of Place” (Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, 2024), “Taisuke Makihara: On the Course” (Hyakunengo Art Festival, 2024), and “Shinji Ohmaki: Interface of Being” (The National Art Center, Tokyo, 2023). In addition, he presides over Sansui Tokyo, a collective investigating art and society under the theme of sansui.