When we think of contemporary Japanese graphic art and its global impact, Hideki Nakajima, who has gained popularity among young people with his radical actions, is likely the first name to cross our minds. His creations have been praised both in Japan and abroad. Nakajima’s philosophy and practice challenge the categorization of such ideas to the realm of a "designer's artwork”. This exhibition "Infinite Libraries & ReCitF" consists of 7 new graphic works (framed posters in editions of 10 ) that were created based on texts by an American poet, Gustavo Alberto Garcia Vaca. In addition, Re-CitF, 2 other silk-screen works on canvases (edition of 1) will be exhibited. You will find that different types of collected images inspired by Vaca's poetry such as “maps”, ”time” and ”music” have been literally transcribed onto graphic works, colors, sophisticated prints and selected materials. Free and unrestrained within a rapidly homogenizing consumer society, Hideki Nakajima poetically declares independence through his work. G/P gallery aims to consistently feature works by Hideki Nakajima a few times a year. *CitF= CLEAR in the FOG Talk Event September 28th (Sun) 19:00 Hideki Nakajima x Shigeo Goto (G/P Gallery director) 20 seats are provided. Around 10 people can be standing. Reservation recommended.

Opening September 13, Wako Works of Art is very pleased to present a collaborative exhibition by Noritoshi Hirakawa, Hiroshi Sunairi and Arto Lindsay. First exhibited at Venetia Kapernekas Gallery in New York in early 2008, this exhibition will feature new works by the three artists that explore the human existence and condition. Hirakawa’s photo series "In Reminiscence of the Sea" captures the landscape and lives around the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant facing the Sea of Enshu, off the central Pacific coast of Japan. Like many of Hirakawa’s photographs, the beautiful, poignant images are only a façade to the horror the lies beneath — in this case, the Fossa Magna fault line, which seismologist have long warned could cause a large earthquake, and politics that are involved in running a nuclear facility. Sunairi’s sculptural installation "Elephant Dinner" is based on the Buddhist fable, "Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant." When the blind men had felt the elephant, the raja went to each of them and said to each, 'Well, blind man, have you seen the elephant? Tell me, what sort of thing is an elephant?' "Thereupon the men who were presented with the head answered, 'Sire, an elephant is like a pot.' And the men who had observed the ear replied, 'An elephant is like a winnowing basket.' Those who had been presented with a tusk said it was a ploughshare. Those who knew only the trunk said it was a plough; others said the body was a grainery; the foot, a pillar; the back, a mortar; the tail, a pestle, the tuft of the tail, a brush. (Udana 68-69) Like everyday objects, table ware, and furniture, ceramic elephant body parts are arranged on a table. This is a sequel installation to Sunairi's most recent work, "White Elephant" presented at the Japan Society in New York. In "White Elephant," Sunairi created a life-sized deconstructed elephant as a memorial for 9/11. "Elephant Dinner" also employs the same white ceramic medium, only this time, the abstraction of body parts are enhanced, projecting the idea of relativity expressed in the fable. O how they cling and wrangle, some who claim For preacher and monk the honored name! For, quarreling, each to his view they cling. Such folk see only one side of a thing. (Udana 68-69) Lindsay was approached by Hirakawa to contribute lyrics for this exhibition. Never set to music, the lyrics printed and installed with the photographs and sculpture of Hirakawa and Sunairi are an inaudible reminder of the missing element of sound. Please note that the opening reception for "Silence in the Light" will be held on Monday, September 15, 5-7PM (not Sunday, September 14, 6-8PM as previously announced). There will also be another reception on the same day for Noritoshi Hirakawa at Nanzuka Underground from 7-9PM, on the occasion of his solo exhibition. Nanzuka Underground Shibuya IBIS Bldg. B1F, 2-17-3, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 150-0002 Japan http://nug.jp/top/

This 4th project exhibition at Punctum invites Keishin Nakaseko as a guest curator and hold "A Crazed Page", a series exhibition consisting of 3 separate shows. 2nd edition of the series introduces Aki Toiya, who graduated from oil painting course of the Musashino Art University Graduate School in last March. Toiya paints on her canvas complex imagery consisting of allegorical landscape and her personal memories. At first glance, it's undecipherable what is depicted on the surface filled with red, blue, white and yellow. Taking a closer look, viewers realize the structure of her painting where a tactile sensation of something like the breathing of living matter and fragile mental picture are layered on top of one another. "Mode of disjunction", "involuntary self-destruction", "dread for others"...themes Toiya repeatedly swings back to our consciousness are extremely relevant, while they also seem to quietly provoke the "swing back to the genre of painting" in this internet age. Artist Talk Date & Time: September 27th (Sat) 15:00-16:00 Host: Keishin Nakaseko Guest: Tomohiro Nishimura (art critic)

Kamimura keeps experimenting with the possibilities of his own artistic endeavors by working from a position surrounded by imitations and sham objects. On the other hand, Hayakawa finds this particular sense of sham imitation in his daily life, and takes everyday phenomena as his motifs in search of a place where reality lies, a reality we may have lost sight of. This exhibition gives viewers an opportunity to think about how to relate to the world around them and how to deal with it.

Old objects and their characteristic textures are quickly being lost from our cities. Rotting wood, rusty sheet iron, cracked mortar -- all these materials with distinct textures, forming the landscapes that hold our memories of these things, are disappearing. In their place, massive spaces adorned with advertisements for global corporations, shiny, harsh. This phenomenon has suddenly surfaced throughout the country, a kind of collective amnesia that is slowly eating away at our cities. Kazuhito Nakazato is a photographer who has made an exploration of contemporary cities that aspire towards newness, brightness and bigness, conducting fieldwork throughout Japan. He has photographed narrow alleys that gape like air pockets, old dilapidated minka houses and abandoned dwellings, and various other things that have lost their original purpose and now lie forgotten in a corner; or else images of landscapes immersed in a rich, velvety darkness where these old things languish. Some of Nakazato's other works include "Portraits of Huts" (2000), "Kiriko no machi" (2002), that captured everyday objects and landscapes, "The Witching Hour" (2003), depicting that instant at twilight when dusk takes on an incredible aspect, seeking out the various textures and sensations of the dark that continue to be lost from our cities, and "Alleyways" (2004), which attempted to excavate fading memories hidden deep within the maze of alleyways that Nakazato got lost in...Nakazato has had much success not only in bringing to light a certain sensation that derives from observing everyday landscapes and objects with a unique eye, but also in creating impressive images that spark off reminiscences and deep memories in the viewer. He also makes collaged installations of huts or cabins that use waste materials and other scraps in site-specific exhibitions held in minka, abandoned factories, markets and ruins. Talks and other events are also scheduled. See website for details.

NANZUKA UNDERGROUND is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new works by Noritoshi Hirakawa. Hirakawa is a renowned conceptual artist who has been the subject of solo shows at Hermes Forum, Tokyo, Museum of Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Wako Works of Art, Tokyo, Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Paris, Zeno X Gallery, Antwerp and Deitch Projects, NY. He has also been included in group exhibitions worldwide such as the Venice Biennale in 1994, and more recently at P.S.1 in New York, Leeum, Seoul and Museum Kunst Palast, D_sseldorf. His works have been acquired by the collections at CAPC Mus_e d'art contemporain de Bordeaux, S.M.A.K. Museum of Contemporary Art, Ghent, Museum f_r Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. Through works such as “S”, in which he expressed the inevitability of man's attraction to and fear of death with photographs of the last view that each jumper might have seen, “The reason of Life”, in which he expressed women's suppressed sexual desires by having female models flash their undergarments in public, and “Dreams of Tokyo”, in which the contention between the Japanese social system and its people are elaborated by his images of squatting female figure that reveal discreetly that they are not wearing any underwear, Hirakawa challenges the paradoxes and taboos of the society and attempts to uncover the unchangeable truth. In this solo exhibition, he focuses on the district of Shibuya, and through figures of young women that gather in the area, deliberates on the issue of communication between daughters and their parents in present-day Japanese society. Today, many women lead lives which their parents are not fully aware of; meanwhile, the parents force superficial morals upon their children in an attempt to maintain a community which they call family. People do not realize that under this oppressive state, women who play the role of the daughter only lose sight of their real selves and sense of existence within society. In this exhibition, he displays two series: "A sense of accomplishment" and "A daughter’s proposal", both of which consist of “images of daughters that parents are unaware of, and figures of parents that recognize what the daughters are going through,” which Hirakawa believes to be the truest form of relationship that should take place between children and parents. This series also addresses Hirakawa's concern towards recent events in Japan (of children busjacking and randomly attacking people with knives in broad daylight to spite their parents, parents abusing children, children killing parents) that epitomize the collapse of communication between children and parents. For this exhibition, Hirakawa states the following: "I believe the function of art is to question the essential meaning of human existence without being inhibited by social conventions and wary of the public eye, and through such perspective, to suggest a new, undeceitful way of life to society at large." Cocktail Party: September 15th (Mon) 19:30-21:30 **This will be a joint reception with Wako Works Of Art. [Silence in the Light] Opening：September 15th (Mon) 17:00-19:00. (At this group exhibition with Hiroshi Sunairi and Arto Linsdsay, Noritoshi Hirakawa’s new series "In Reminiscence of the Sea," based on the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant, will be exhibited.)

On April 28th, 1908, the first ship of emigrants to Brazil, the "Kasato-maru", left Japan and arrived at the Port of Santos after a two-month voyage on June 18th. This year marks the 100th anniversary since the beginning of a wave of Japanese emigration to Brazil, and a variety of commemorative events are taking place all over Japan. Organized by the Japan Brazil Art Center, this Japan-Brazil Friendship exhibition is being held at the Kawasaki City Museum, showcasing works by 17 Brazilian contemporary artists, as well as accessories, crafts and fashion items selected by Brazilian journalists, reflecting the life and culture of the nation from various angles. Also on view are works by veteran artists such as architect Oscar Niemeyer (who turned 100 this year), as well as 94 year-old Tomie Oe, who is still active in Brazil. Film screenings are scheduled as well. Related Events -Brazil Festa in Kawasaki Date & Time: September 20th (Sat) 10:00-18:00 Location: Museum courtyard -Brazilian Film Screenings Dates: September 23rd (Tue/Holiday), 27th (Sat), 28th (Sun) Location: Screening Hall Fee: Adults ¥600, Students & Seniors ¥500 *For screening schedule and more details, please visit museum website. [Image: Caito "Untitled"]

Roses at night, reading in the dead of night, Tokyo Tower...Tokyo at night takes on a unique cast and works a strange magic on its inhabitants. Crowded buildings that jostle together in the day hide their shadows in the darkness by night, while ordinarily toxic signage transform into jewel-like neon. Even the air in one's own room grows thick and dense. For instance, music played at night reaches your ears differently than by day; a sort of magical time when the streets take on a transfigured appearance, yielding up moments of intimacy and color amid the chaos of Tokyo. People hovering in the night, the beauty and loneliness of places enveloped in its darkness, the unknown that only comes into view at night. This is the sort of "Tokyo by night" captured in the works at this exhibition. Maeda's original illustrations are on display and for sale at the gallery. Also for sale are original postcards and limited edition booklets. This is Maeda's first solo exhibition. *On September 20th (Sat) starting at 17:00, a small party will be held featuring Raymond Scott's album "Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights", one of Maeda's inspirations for this exhibition.

[Image: "Vertigo #2" H780xW555mm, homemade ink on kent paper]

Solo exhibition by Kin Shiotani, who has been holding annual exhibitions at B Gallery since 2004. This time, Shiotani tackles the issue of luck, a subject that he has been obsessed with lately, with sugoroku boards spread across the whole exhibition space. Visitors will be asked to roll a die placed at the entrance of the gallery. From that point on, everything will be left to chance! Having extended the range of his artistic activities, Kin Shiotani now leads an exciting life. For him, B Gallery has always been a place to take on a new challenge. For this fifth show at the venue, Shiotani has chosen luck as its theme, applied not only to this particular show but also to his own life.

Adam Silverman is a professional potter, born in New York in 1963. He studied architecture, art and design at the Rhode Island School of Design, and then got involved in designing stores. He is also known for starting the fashion brand "X-LARGE" in 1991. In 2003, he opened his own studio, "Atwater Pottery," in Los Angeles. He was influenced by Japanese industrial art objects, and once visited Mashiko in Tochigi to produce pottery. In 2006, his works from "California Design 05" at the Pasadena Museum of Californian Art were highly acclaimed. He also held a show at TKG Editions (Tomio Koyama Gallery) in 2006, and this will be his second solo show with us.

Cow Parade originated in Switzerland in 1998. Cow and bull figures decorated by local artists were displayed on the streets, and the event generated so much interest that it attracted numerous sponsors and donations. Since then, Cow Parade has traveled to a number of major cities including New York and Paris, drawing phenomenal crowds each time. The Tokyo-Marunouchi Cow Parade 2008 will take place this coming autumn, the third time this event has come to Tokyo. It will feature entries by young Art Award Tokyo 2008 prizewinners, including pupils from junior high schools in Chiyoda Ward, and also includes cow figures decorated by prominent personalities such as entertainer Shoko Nakagawa, architect Kengo Kuma and art director Kashiwa Sato. Eight calves (Mini Moos) will join the 65 life-sized fiberglass cattle figures in the parade, decorating and adding color to the Marunouchi office district. At the special cow shop inside Marunouchi Cafe "Ease" on the 1st floor of the Marunouchi Building, as well as at Marunouchi Loft on the 4th floor of the same building, original cow goods will be for sale. At the end of the festival, a charity event will be held to auction off the cows that decorate the streets of the district. Please visit event website for more details.

Cow Parade originated in Switzerland in 1998. Cow and bull figures decorated by local artists were displayed on the streets, and the event generated so much interest that it attracted numerous sponsors and donations. Since then, Cow Parade has been held in a number of major cities including New York and Paris, drawing phenomenal crowds each time. The Tokyo-Marunouchi Cow Parade 2008 will take place this coming autumn, the third time this event has come to Tokyo. It will feature entries by young Art Award Tokyo 2008 prizewinners, including pupils from junior high schools in Chiyoda Ward, and also includes cow figures decorated by prominent personalities such as entertainer Shoko Nakagawa, architect Kengo Kuma and art director Kashiwa Sato. Eight calves (Mini Moos) will join the 65 life-sized fiberglass cattle figures in the parade, decorating and adding color to the Marunouchi office district. At the special cow shop inside Marunouchi Cafe "Ease" on the 1st floor of the Marunouchi Building, as well as at Marunouchi Loft on the 4th floor of the same building, original cow goods will be for sale. At the end of the festival, a charity event will be held to auction off the cows that decorate the streets of the district. Please visit event website for more details.

The Minatomachi Orai Project #09 will be held in the autumn of 2009 to welcome the 150th anniversary of the opening of the port of Yokohama, inviting artists from port cities around the world along with Japanese artists to exhibit their work at several living spaces in the harbor districts of Yokohama. A pre-event will be held in October 2008, along the themes of "International Artist Network", "Immigration and Cultural Hybridity", and "Performativity". These events and exhibitions will be held at newly-built galleries hidden and tucked away in the hilly sections of the city. Venue: Yokohama ZAIM Cafe Annex Exhibition is organized along the following three themes: 1. International artist network Visual poetry network with works from Japan and abroad Julien Blaine, Tomomi Adachi, Shigeru Matsui, Shin Tanabe, Helen White 2. Performative Photography, video and installation works tackling the concept of public-ness and issues of space by artists like Marilyn Arsem, Jason Lim, Sumiko Nogi, Sakiko Yamaoka and Yoshinori Niwa. 3. Immigration and cultural hybridity Installation by a duo of third-generation nikkei (ethnic Japanese) Korean artists living in Japan, Bae Sunok and Om Joosoo. Events: Performance by Sumiko Nogi "Sheep Stroll" + DVD presentation of foreign artists October 12th (Sun) 14:00-16:00 Reception party 18:00- Talk and discussion "Theories on Japanese cultural hybridity" October 13th (Mon/national holiday) 15:00-18:00 Fee ¥1500 Aki Sagawa will speak on her research concerning poetry by Koreans living in Japan, while Reiichi Noguchi will speak on nihonga as a form of modernist painting. After the two presentations, there will be an open discussion with the audience. Moderated by Hiroyuki Arai Workshop + Performance "Poetry-Action: While Waiting for Julien Blaine" October 18th (Sat) - 19th (Sun) 15:00-18:00 Fee: One day ¥1500, both days ¥2500 Introduces the appeal of cross-genre expression through the live performance and acting out of poetry through props and sounds. Blaine explores the very attitude of being alive, its parallel possibilities. Also features a lecture by composer and performer Tomomi Adachi. Lecture: Tomomi Adachi Performance: Tomomi Adachi, Hideya Fujie, Nonko Ono, Mari Tanigawa, Sakiko Yamaoka To attend, see website for more details.

TWS-Emerging is part of Tokyo Wonder Site's support program for young artists. It hosts yearly solo exhibitions by promising young artists, who are selected after a screening of 100 prize-winning artists from Tokyo Wonder Wall. This year, 19 artists were selected and will hold solo exhibitions. This year's 5th round is "Internal Flower -Continuity Solids-" by Tomoya Hioki, "Superman Descending to Earth" by Hirokazu Ishii and "Hokke Sutra Fond d'agneau" by Shinpei Sasada. -Artist Talk: September 27th (Sat) 16:00-17:00 -Networking Event: September 27th (Sat) 17:00-19:00 -Related Presentation @ TWS Art Cafe Kurage From the upcoming TWS-Emerging exhibition, you can also enjoy works by Tomoya Hioki, Hirokazu Ishii and Shinpei Sasada at TWS Art Cafe Kurage. Date: September 18th (Thu) - October 2nd (Thu) Time: 10:00-23:30 Venue: TWS Art Cafe Kurage [Image: Tomoya Hioki "Internal Flower" (2007) iron, cloth]

Postcard exhibition by a total of 166 winners of the 1st through 30th editions of the Hitotsubo exhibition. Works will be on sale via auction for the duration of the exhibition. Each work will have its minimum bidding price displayed, set by the artist. Those who wish to purchase the work will bid for a price higher than that displayed using the entry forms at the venue. The work will go to the highest bidder, who will be contacted about the decision after the auction period has ended. The total amount of the winning bid goes to the artist.

Keisuke Tanaka was born in Chiba prefecture in 1976 and studied sculpture at the Tokyo University of the Arts. He makes primarily wooden sculptures: a 10 sq cm pillar of camphor "carcass" was carved into a new object entitled "Mountain Reborn." Wooden sculpture is said to have started in the 6th century around the same time that Buddhism was founded. While fabric is often used to express the movements of wind, and the dynamism of human activities through the protuberances of veins and arteries, Tanaka takes sculpture in new directions through the act of carving and whittling away wood and creating landscapes in the process. The exhibition title is a quotation from an ancient Chinese poem that evokes sympathy for "Seizan" mountains as burial places. Tanaka's work also uses acrylic with a light touch to color his sculpture, giving his work a certain sturdiness at first glance: viewers can make out the outlines and contours of a forest that seems to have been lifted straight out of an animated film or manga comic. While possessing the ready charm of a railway model that appeals to kids and adults alike, this is no pastoral scene. The bird's eye view that the sculptures afford gives viewers a sense of the composite makeup of life itself, its workings, the business of life and death. This exhibition features a large-scale work measuring 3 meters across that invites viewers to a mountainous setting in early summer, the buzzing noises of insects all around. Looking down at mountains and up towards the clouds, viewers experience something of the floating sensation experienced by a deity, or a dead person. Or else one has a premonition of the sacred, as if entering by a lone path into a forest inhabited by spirits of the deceased.

Erwin Wurm is an artist who drastically changes our concept of what "sculptures" can represent. A series he started in the 90’s, and the most representative among his works, the "One Minute Sculpture" transforms the subjects being photographed (or the viewer who has come to see the show) into a sculptural artwork for a minute, made to pose awkwardly according to the artist’s intentions. "The fundamental steps consisted in abandoning the ideas of durability and infinity. Sculpture could also last for just a few minutes, a few seconds. The works were transported to the level of the immediate present," says the artist (quoted from Erwin Wurm "The Artist who Swallowed the World" Hatje Cantz issue). Human torsos bloated like balloons. Human figures transformed into solid blocks wearing very tight clothes. Or vegetables with human arms and legs. You will also find cars and buildings in his works, either swelled up or melted down, resulting in very strange textures. It could be said that these odd-at-first-sight models are "objects" created as a result of a precise, intellectual gesture, something disassembled and deconstructed by the vision of an artist who could make believe that anything could be a sculpture; and yet, Wurm's sculptures are also filled with a sense of humor that anyone can understand. As Erwin says, "All the 36 sculptures, they portray myself; the entire installation represents is a for of self-portraiture." At this exhibition are cucumbers in various sizes, potatoes wearing knitted outfits, women’s underwear with two human legs, as well as Erwin’s new photographs taken for this show (his first in Japan) during his two week stay here.

Michael van Ofen’s paintings are portraits and landscapes consisting of a minimum of brushstrokes. While there are only a few elements to be found on his painterly plane, his very carefully controlled brushstrokes, composition of colors and light make us find ourselves feeling as if our imagination had taken flight to rediscover the most universal motif found in Western painting. In fact, van Ofen’s work often finds its sources in classical works from the 18th century onwards. His work entitled "Horatier" (2003) is based on the "Oath of the Horatii" painted in 1784 by Jacques Louis David, a Neoclassicist painter. Van Ofen’s paintings only show beautiful straight lines in high contrast, but those who had seen the David’s work could probably be reminded of the particular work. His portraits, landscapes and still life paintings are all inheritors of a genre with a long and venerable history. The mere stroke of a brush on his canvas suggests light falling on the face and the clothing of a person, or the slopes of mountains. Despite the minimalist mode of expression that could also be described as "abstract painterly," van Ofen’s figurative world is full of painting's abundant possibilities. This is van Ofen’s first solo show in Japan. We will be showing 6 new paintings.

Born in 1974, Sachiko Miki graduated from the graduate school of Tokyo Zokei Univerity (sculpture department) and has since been active mainly in Tokyo. Human fetus-like forms and tears streaming from their expressionless faces are the characteristics of Miki's work. These tears have been the theme of her work for the past few years, and they represent her own tears. Although this tends to have a negative connotation, Miki brings a breath of femininity and the energy of life to the work through her use of flower motifs and vibrant colors. On view are 6 of her old and new pieces that transform the whole gallery space into a part of Miki's colorful world. [Image: "Flower Drop" (2008) FRP, acrylic H140xW40xD40cm]

Born in Münster, Germany in 1958, painter Stephan Baumkotter constructs his surface through his unique process of layering oil stick and monochromatic paint. This is his first solo exhibition in Japan.

What do you take with you when you go out with kids? It probably depends on the occasion. This exhibition features items by 10 groups of designers, who have come up with things you will always want to carry with you. Talk Session "Children and Design" October 13th (Mon/Holiday) 15:00-17:00 Carrot Tower 4F Fee: ¥500 Call 03-5432-1543 for reservations. Participating designers and special guest Manabu Saito from Yamagata University will talk about design in the context of family life with children. This talk will be moderated by Osamu Hagiwara of Kodo Mono Koto.

Opening Reception: August 29th (Fri) 19:00-21:30

Uematsu uses stuffed animals, gemstones and images of plant to create his work. The unusual combination of various objects offers visual resistance and stimuli for the imagination. Wild boar and swans, deer and coral: these hybrid animals take on a deformed existence thanks to the artist, presented as symbols of all living things. Uematsu successfully visualizes this yearning and reverence for life itself, as well as the instability of the material existence of the body. The animals and plants from Uematsu’s world will be presented in a white tabletop "diorama" at this exhibition. Uematsu describes his work with the words “crystal” and “link”, and he calls this installation a "clustered, woven white coral reef." The existence and form of individual pieces lose their importance, and the boundaries between them become ambiguous in this condensed setting.

Through a sophisticated beauty of simplicity, Kenya Hara continues to tackle challenging, unexplored issues in design. This exhibition attempts to give insight into the process of elimination of all extraneous elements in order to understand the essential nature of things. It gives visitors a look into the core philosophy that drives Hara's practice as a designer, using the aesthetics or concept of "white" to examine numerous works created by returning to the bare essentials. Using the concept of "white" as a lens through which to take a fresh look at many of his works, this exhibition highlights the way Kenya Hara perceives things. Works on display include the packaging for the new Kenzo Power fragrance; Hakkin saké from Obusedo in Nagano Prefecture; book designs for "A Single Volume", "Re-design" and "Haptic," which bring together works that he has produced; and the Tsukubai (stone wash basin) water feature into which water falls from above, changing first into transparent droplets, and finally disappearing as it swirls downward.

This is Masahito Koshinaka's first solo exhibition, featuring 9 "Double Word" pieces. Continuing on from his previous "Echoes" work, Koshinaka has chosen not humans but plants as his subject, although the meaning of the work does not change, according to him. His work consistently deals with themes of meeting and assembly, and the notion of individuality, and this new series focuses on an individual entity that produces a collectivity and the difference between being on the inside, or outside, of that collectivity. Another key trait of Koshinaka's work is the introduction of temporal elements into this arrangement: a single flower that withers among an entire group of Japanese irises, the prospect of which is then turned into a continuous series of photographs. These works can perhaps be understood as documentary photographs of changes over time. Koshinaka's work is a recognition of recording as the basic function of photography. However, Koshinaka also takes much care in using photography as a recording medium to memoralize things irreducible to mere information and things that resist verbal expression, a process that relies on his own sense of the reality of such objects. Yet the perception of this "reality" ultimately varies according to the artist. In Koshinaka's photographs, the conception of that reality lies in the identity he lets slip in responding to requests for him to offer explanations about his own work. He understands one's identity through the perception of reality, which is then recorded and transcribed into photography. The sense of identity that resists verbalization that Koshinaka seeks is perhaps hidden somewhere in the relationship between the individual and the collectivity. The sense of identity one feels when being a member of a group is not the same as that which one feels when apart from that group and standing along as an individual. Extract of essay by Kentaro Ichihara (art critic)

Simon Patterson was born in Surrey, England in 1969 of English, Scottish, Wales and Irish descent, which indicates his perfect British heritage. Although his activities are subdued compared to Hirst and Gordon, he is an outstanding representative of the Young British Artists (YBA) which invigorated the 90's contemporary art scene in the UK. Patterson's artworks are not so easy to understand, yet their keen wit comes from the fact that he graduated from Goldsmiths College in London. The motifs he chooses include ships, maps, astronomy maps, rulers and the well-known diagrams of the London Underground, metamorphosed into smart, fascinating artworks full of nostalgia and wit. Since his first exhibition "High Fidelity" (1994) held at Roentgen Kunstraum and Kohji Ogura Gallery, he has held many exhibitions in Japan. This year, he held a highly-acclaimed solo exhibition at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. At this exhibition, Patterson will show recent works for the first time in Japan in the past 4 years, since March 2004. The artist never discloses any details about his upcoming works; audiences are always left waiting in suspense. A reception for the artist will be held on October 3rd (Fri) from 18:00 onwards. Everyone is welcome. On October 4th (Sat), the Kunst Oktoberfest Free Bus Tour will be held in and around the Chuo Ward gallery district. Please check out for more information.

Base Gallery is proud to announce a solo exhibition featuring new work by artist Sachigusa Yasuda. Yasuda, born in 1968, has produced a number of photographic works, drawings, and hands on installations from the inverted point of view of the soles of one's feet. Our feet - the parts of our bodies that receive the most constant contact with the earth at any given time - are constantly reminding us of and stimulating us with our own sense of touch. Yasuda's images have been acclaimed for their capacity to help viewers recall their bodies in motion and her work has received a number of grants such as the SAISON Art Program Education Grant and Pola Art Foundation Overseas Program for Contemporary Artists. This exhibition focuses on Yasuda's works created after relocating to New York. The artist's work from this period captures views from atop skyscrapers in a number of major cities like New York, Hong Kong, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo. Yasuda painstakingly photographs over 300 individual images of the landscape and then mixes and reconstructs them into one cohesive image in a process reminiscent of ikebana. The resulting image offers a bird's eye view of the scene possible only through the magic of digital techniques, and reminds viewers at once of the terrifying sensation of falling and the euphoric sensation of flying. Unlike typically 'beautiful' bird's eye view landscape photography, Yasuda's works awaken all of our senses at once and help us to realize how deeply our sense of sight is intertwined with other perceptions at the core of our physical being. The artist's original line of questioning posed from the soles of our feet has been flipped head over heels once again to reveal a new vantage point high above us. Yasuda's peculiar perspective offers 'temptation from the rooftops' of many popularly visited cities such as New York, Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo and her works are a new medium designed to reawaken the senses. This will be the artist's first solo exhibition at Base Gallery. [Image: "Flying #25" (2007), Digital Photograph, 120 x 193.5cm (Edition 3/5)]

Solo exhibition of about 20 new works by Masako, who made a big impact at the "Seven Newcomers" group exhibition held this year in February. The figures in her paintings all have in common a sense of weak, thinned-down relationships to others, as well as an opposing sense of dependency on these same people. These characters desire to be noble and upright while at the same time being secretly calculative and sly in their behavior. Masako captures the nuances of these character traits just as they are, without either repudiating or affirming them.

Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo is hosting an exciting new exhibition in the Imaginary Museum of the O-collection - Magical Museum Tour. This latest installment in the series is Room 6 "Fumiaki Akahane & Toshiyuki Konishi - New New Painting". Continuing on from a series launched last year, this show contains works from the collection of Satoshi Okada. Our aim is to provide a permanent venue for works by emerging Japanese contemporary artists similar to those in the permanent collections in an art museum. The Okada collection includes numerous notable works by emerging Japanese artists selected for inclusion by adhering to unconventional perspectives, while the artists are themselves still relatively unknown. The collection could also be described as an attempt to explore the depths of what it means to be human, including the irrationality of human nature. In this sense, the works here reflect and convey the diverse range of sensibilities emanating from the megalopolis of Tokyo, transcending the confines of a personal collection in order to present a universal challenge. [Image: Fumiaki Akahane "Untitled" (2007)]

Coinciding with the duration of the Yokohama Triennale 2008, BankART1929 is hosting "BankART Life II". The purpose of this event is to promote a region-wide program that aims at the comprehensive management of a variety of existing businesses and to disseminate them throughout the entire region in cooperation with public and historical buildings, industrial remains, restaurant districts, vacant land and stores, etc. The concept of this event is "to open up and connect". The event will take place not only at the venues hosting the Triennale, but also the whole area surrounded by Shinko Port, Bashamichi, Isezakicho, Sakuragicho, Nogechiku, Hinodecho and Koganecho. Additionally, the event will be closely linked with various institutions like ZAIM in the Sozo Kaiwai (Creative City) area. Fee: BankART Life II ticket (includes Life II guide book) Adults ¥900, University Students ¥750, High School Students ¥350, Middle School Students and under free *Ticket holders will be able to see and participate in all exhibitions and performance events (with a ¥500 discount). Ticket valid for both BankART Life II & Yokohama Triennale (includes Life II guide book) Adults ¥2100, University Students ¥1600, High School Students ¥850, Middle School Students and under free Please visit gallery website for more details.

The Yokohama Triennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art held once every three years. The inaugural edition was held in 2001, and this year marks its 3rd installment. Based on a comprehensive exhibition theme decided upon by the artistic director, a diverse range of artworks—including video, installation, photography, painting and sculpture—by about 60 to 70 artists selected from countries all over the world will be put on display. While the Triennale will mainly showcase newly-commissioned cutting-edge works of contemporary art from around the globe, it will also feature many site-specific works highlighting the distinctive charms of the host city. Supplementary events will also be held during the exhibition period, including symposiums to flesh out the Triennale concept, as well as workshops and gallery talks to promote dialogue among artists, participants and visitors. The Triennale will also seek to establish and strengthen ties with art organizations and other international exhibition secretariats both in Japan and abroad. An exhibition hall with some 4,300 square meters of exhibition space will be constructed in the Shinko Pier area, one of the oldest sections of the Port of Yokohama. The new structure (scheduled to be completed in August 2008) will be the main venue for the Yokohama Triennale 2008. The design of the exhibition hall includes numerous skylights to bring in natural light, creating a pleasant, relaxed ambience. Nearly 30 artists, including Pedro Reyes, Fischli & Weiss, and Cerith Wyn Evans, will exhibit their works here. The two historic Red Brick Warehouses on Shinko Pier were built in the early years of the twentieth century as model government warehouses, and even today they still exude the bygone aura of Meiji-era Japan (1868-1912). Yokohama Triennale 2008 exhibits, including works by Rirkrit Tiravanija and Chelfish, will be situated mainly on the second and third floors of Warehouse No. 1, while the Akarenga Hall on the third floor will play host to various events such as performances, concerts and lectures. The event's other main venues are the . Inquiries: (Hello Dial) 03-5405-8686 (English 9:00-18:00)

The Yokohama Triennale is an international exhibition of contemporary art held once every three years. The inaugural edition was held in 2001, and this year marks its 3rd installment. Based on a comprehensive exhibition theme decided upon by the artistic director, a diverse range of artworks—including video, installation, photography, painting and sculpture—by about 60 to 70 artists selected from countries all over the world will be put on display. While the Triennale will mainly showcase newly-commissioned cutting-edge works of contemporary art from around the globe, it will also feature many site-specific works highlighting the distinctive charms of the host city. Supplementary events will also be held during the exhibition period, including symposiums to flesh out the Triennale concept, as well as workshops and gallery talks to promote dialogue among artists, participants and visitors. The Triennale will also seek to establish and strengthen ties with art organizations and other international exhibition secretariats both in Japan and abroad. An exhibition hall with some 4,300 square meters of exhibition space will be constructed in the Shinko Pier area, one of the oldest sections of the Port of Yokohama. The new structure (scheduled to be completed in August 2008) will be the main venue for the Yokohama Triennale 2008. The design of the exhibition hall includes numerous skylights to bring in natural light, creating a pleasant, relaxed ambience. Nearly 30 artists, including Pedro Reyes, Fischli & Weiss, and Cerith Wyn Evans, will exhibit their works here. The event's other main venues are the . Inquiries: (Hello Dial) 03-5405-8686 (English 9:00-18:00)

Artist Motohiro Tomii will create sculptural works using ready-made objects. The sculptures will then become permanent collections of ARCUS Project and exhibited inside Building B. Moriya Manabi-no-sato, where ARCUS Studio is located, has a music room, cooking room, and craft shop, and the facilities are used by neighborhood residents regularly. The exhibition does not have a closing date, and all works will be exhibited until they decay naturally. Opening Reception: March 22nd (Sat), 18:30- at ARCUS Studio Please contact venue to attend by phone or fax. (0297-46-2600)

This is a solo exhibition by Toru Nagahama, who works as a designer for Hi-ReS! in London while also creating installations using photographs and graphic images. Talk Event: Toru Nagahama x Taisuke Koyama x Satoru Yamashita With Taisuke Koyama, whose photo book "Entropix" has just been published, Toru Nagahama, who will talk about his perspectives on graphics and photography. This talk will be moderated by Satoru Yamashita, chief editor of "+81" magazine. Date: October 11th (Sat) 19:00 20 seats available. Contact sawa@gptokyo.jp for reservations.

Hatch Art is organizing a group exhibition of 6 artists on the theme of red, a color rich in symbolism and associations. Like Hatch Art's previous exhibitions "Happy Hours" and "Yokohama Boogie," the interpretation of the exhibition theme has been left up to each artist to handle as they wish. Together with the organizers and visitors to the exhibition, the color red will hopefully take on new shades of meaning. October 12th (Sun) 14:00-16:00 Artist Talk For more information contact: Hatch Art ZAIM 406, Nihon Odori 34, Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa Prefecture hatchart@gmail.com

Taka Ishii Gallery is pleased to announce our first solo exhibition with Annette Kelm from October 11th to November 8th. The exhibition will feature a series of photographs depicting pre-fabricated houses in Germany as well as a number of new works. Kelm has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions internationally. Her recent exhibitions (all 2008) were held at CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art (San Francisco), Witte de With (Rotterdam), and KW Institute for Contemporary Art (Berlin). Kelm studied in Hamburg and presently lives and works in Berlin. Kelm’s images are typified by an intense visual clarity and appear deceptively simple at first glance. Her compositions depict forms that are immediately recognizable, and perfectly executed in their framing. At times Kelm’s photographs give the impression of found images, extracted from the pages of a magazine spread or advertisement. Their focal point is overtly clear, but the cultural and historic relevance of the photographed subjects is not easily fathomed from the photographs themselves. Meaning never forces itself on us, but encryption or hidden meaning is absent in Kelm’s imagery. This Kelm’s latest exhibition proposes an investigative series of photographs which pursue different visual strategies and methods. The series shot with a 4 x 5 large format camera examines historical prefab houses that came into fashion in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. "These houses were on show and available for ordering at show-house or world exhibitions and international building shows," says Kelm. Each house is isolated, almost sculptural and treated as an object in an unmelodramatic way. Her pictures lie somewhere in between documentation and staging, in which the question of seeing always takes precedence over that of knowing. [Image: "Ferienhaus, Reinerzau, Jungbauernhof, Deutsche Werkstätten, 1923" (2008) C-Print 60 x 72 cm Courtesy Johann König, Berlin]

Kopis string quartet concert from 18:00 on October 12th (Sun).

[Image: "Comedy/ Tragedy" (2008) Detail. 2 panels, oil on paper. 57.2 x 70.5cm each.]

Ando is an Osaka-based painter, who takes animals as her main motif, often rendered in characteristic rounded forms. Ando's work gives viewers a soothing sense of relief, but her paintings of the back profiles of these animals evoke a sense of pathos, leaving a strange, unfathomable aftertaste with the viewer. Her new work "Ping Pong Pearl," depicting golden fish, embodies this odd mix of sensations. This is Ando's first solo exhibition at Punctum. In conjunction with this exhibition, Ando's collection of drawings, "Tomo Ando Drawings," will be launched as a "Punctum Times" special edition. [Image: "Ping Pong Pearl"　(2008) oil on canvas　60.5x60.5cm]

[Image: "Alleyway" B3]

This year marks the 21st edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF), the only international film festival in Japan officially recognized by the International Federation of Film Producers Association. Started in 1985, the TIFF has since left a deep impact on the development and promotion of film culture in the Japanese film industry, comparing favorably with the most prestigious events of its kind among the some 2600 such festivals worldwide - such as the film festivals in Cannes, Venice and Berlin. The TIFF aims to become one of the four most acclaimed international film festivals in the world. This year sees the incorporation of a focus on ecology, with the traditional red carpet being changed to a green one. In addition, symposiums on the environment will be held, and a newly-established Grand Ecology Prize (tentative name) will be given out, making the TIFF a key location for the dissemination of environmental ideals through film.