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Japan Develops a Taste for Contemporary Art

April 12, 2010 by Marion Maneker

The Financial Times reports on the recently closed art fair in Tokyo where Japanese are finally beginning to buy their own art:

Art Fair Tokyo, whose fifth edition ran from April 2-4, and included 138 exhibitors this year, sold about Y1bn (approximately £7m) worth of art and antiques last year. Not a grand amount by world standards, although thousands attended, paying Y1,500 for the privilege. But there, for the most part, their investment ended. The country, it seems, suffers from a window-shopping mentality that has been hard to snuff out. Worse still, Japanese art fairs are largely ignored by foreigner buyers, save a smattering from neighbouring countries.[…]

But there are changes afoot. Compared to previous years, Art Fair Tokyo’s booth layouts have improved greatly, and there are more solo or two-person exhibitions among the contemporary sections. This year there were also fewer predictable entries mimicking Japan’s popular “super-flat” style and Manga/anime-led new works. There were more neo-Japanese type contemporary works, represented best by Tenmyouya Hisashi and his street-yoof-go-Samurai style. Grotesque, hyper-miniaturist paintings were also a noticeable trend, and more effort was put into promoting new galleries of contemporary art under the banner of a section entitled “Projects”. Sales, according to the organizers, were up for contemporary art at least. One notable large sale was Yoshitomo Nara’s “Naughty Girl” at Y80m (about £560,000).

Pace of Art-Buying in Japan Picks Up (FInancial Times)

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Filed Under: Art Fairs Tagged With: Tokyo

About Marion Maneker

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