When in Tokyo, wandering off the beaten track can be very rewarding. Interesting sights are plentiful, and we obviously don’t mean quaint Shinto shrines or kimono-clad locals, but places and events that ooze the Japanese capital’s unique contemporary urban culture. The recently launched 1-11-1 Asakusa Exhibition covers both full on in an adventurous way. An initiative by Risako Yamada, an independent multimedia artist whose work is unapologetically inspired by her body and sexuality. Yamada has rallied twelve fellow Japanese artists to stage a group exhibition in a derelict building in the Asakusa neighbourhood. Interestingly, it’s the area where Yamada grew up, and where the house where her parents once lived will soon be demolished, just as the structure where the show is held. The works of the thirteen artists – including a body of work by Yamada – in addition to live performances, are on display across each of the building’s eight floors. The list of participants also includes Hirari Ikeda, runurunu, Taka Kono, shimizumash, Apsu Shusei, Marina Lisa Komiya, Kanae Yamazaki, Takahiro Idenoshita, Yuuki Hasegawa, Shizo Tanaka and Naoki Yoshioka (on through Mar 28 / entrance fee: JPY 500). Location: 1-11-1 Asakusa Exhibition, 1-11-1 Asakusa (Asakusa).
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
