Bringing Japanese talent to the world! Nissan Art Award 2020 Grand Prix decided!
(TOP image) Nissan Art Award 2020 trophy. Designed by product designer Keita Suzuki, and produced in collaboration with Kaikado, a Kyoto workshop that has been in operation since 1898.
The Nissan Art Award was established with the aim of supporting outstanding Japanese contemporary artists and helping to continue the development of Japanese culture for the next generation. This year's fourth edition was held to coincide with the Yokohama Triennale.
The first round of judging was held in May 2019, and five artists were selected as finalists from 28 candidates recommended by curators, researchers, and others. The Grand Prix will be decided on Wednesday, August 26th!
The Grand Prix winner was Mr. Pan Yizhou, who was born in Shanghai in 1987, moved to Japan as a child, and is currently active in Tokyo. He is an artist who has been engaged in creative activities based on the theme of "movement" based on his own experiences.
The motif of the work is a wave-dissipating block, a so-called tetrapot. This was wrapped in an emergency sheet (a familiar disaster prevention item) developed by NAS, and a new installation combined with the video work was presented. The wave-dissipating blocks, which normally do not move from the coast, separate from their "flock" and float in the sea, just like spaceships. In a situation where people's movement is restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic, it feels like something more than what the person intended.
*Pan Yizhou《where are you now》2020
All of the works of the finalists, including Mr. Ban, are on display at the "Nissan Award 2020 New Works by Finalists Exhibition" currently being held at the Nissan Pavilion in Yokohama (until September 22, 2020). We would like you to take this opportunity to experience cutting-edge contemporary art, so we would like to give you a glimpse of the atmosphere of the venue.
The first thing you see when you enter the exhibition hall is Sachiko Kazama's ``Dyslympics 2020''. This work, released in 2018, depicts the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games to be held in the fictional city of Dyslympia in the year 2680 of the Imperial Era (2020 AD). It is full of ominous elements, such as the virus-like sun, and reminds me of the words ``Artists sometimes foresee the future,'' which was said at the Yokohama Triennale 2020 press conference.
*Sachiko Kazama《Dyslympics 2020》2018
Four new works created for this exhibition are also displayed on the opposite wall.
*Sachiko Kazama《PAVILION-Earth Fart Museum》《PAVILION-White Giant Elephant Museum》《¥＝∞》《COUNT ZERO》2020
Soichiro Mihara is an artist who creates expressions that combine natural phenomena and media technology, and the motif for this work is "water." The three states of ice, water, and steam appear on the plate that stretches straight like a runway. It looks like some sort of scientific device has been installed, but the scenery where all three states of water are lined up at the same time has a fantastical nuance to it.
* Soichiro Mihara “Mushumono” 2020
This is the corner of Mr. Nagai Wada, who runs the participatory art project "Electronicos Fantasticos!" that transforms old home appliances into musical instruments.
*Ei Wada《Stateless Electromagnetic Band: BC》 2019
The ``electromagnetic instrument manual'' was sent to five people who lived in different places and did not know each other, and a video of them assembling items such as a CRT television, electric fan, and radio cassette player as musical instruments was displayed. ``Is this an instrument?'' I wondered, wondering, but everyone seemed to be having fun.
Due to the current coronavirus pandemic, it seems that some of the participants' packages did not arrive as planned, but perhaps this is a development typical of contemporary art that reflects the times.
The last section is about Nobuko Tsuchiya, who creates "sculptures" by combining everyday items and found scrap materials such as wool, silicone, iron fragments, cotton, and plastic.
*Nobuko Tsuchiya《Mute-Echoes》2020
It may feel good to flop around, but don't touch the artwork!
Is it one piece as a whole? That's what I thought, but since it was impossible to capture the whole thing on camera, I tried taking pictures from various angles. (You can take photos inside the museum!) As I searched for interesting angles, I started to feel like an artist myself, which was a bit fun.
The venue, Nissan Pavilion, is a facility where you can experience the future of mobility envisioned by Nissan through various contents. In addition to cars, there are plenty of entertainment exhibits such as games, and admission is free!
“Nissan Pavilion” will be open for a limited time until Friday, October 23, 2020, so be sure to visit.
*The Art Award exhibition will be on display until September 22nd (Tuesday/holiday).
Personally, the place that most interested me was ``CHAYA CAFE,'' where you can enjoy salads and sandwiches made with Kanagawa ingredients, as well as craft beer. The menu served here uses hydroponic vegetables grown using only electricity and water.
What I would like to draw your attention to is the "ProPilot Waiter," which utilizes Nissan's driver assistance technology. It's a robot that automatically delivers the food you order, and although it's simple, it has a charm that makes me want to stare at it for a long time.
《New works exhibition by Nissan Art Award 2020 finalists》
[Period] August 1st (Saturday) - September 22nd (Tuesday/Holiday), 2020
[Time] Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00/Sat & Sun 10:00-19:00
[Closed] Irregular holidays
[Venue] Nissan Pavilion
[Price] Free
