Introduction to Art Archive XXVII: Correspondence-Poetry or Letters and Affects—Shuzo Takiguchi and Shusaku Arakawa/Madeline Gins
Keio University Art Center
Until May 30
SHARE
Shuzo Takiguchi (1903-1979) and Shusaku Arakawa (1936-2010) inspired each other in various ways. Soon after Arakawa's departure for the United States, the name Madeline Gins (1941-2014) was added to the list of letter senders, and their correspondence continued uninterrupted until Takiguchi's death. Takiguchi called his handmade book, which appeared to be both finished and unfinished, koushin-shi (correspondence-poem or correspondence-papers), and if we take this concept literally, it refers to the letters.
Among the letters from Arakawa/Gins to Takiguchi, there are a number of quasi-productions that go beyond the transmission of errands and updates through a series of letters, and use humor and witty methods to overuse letters, transforming them into a new medium. For example, they added a new message to an old postcard with a message superimposed on the text, or they added arrows or a few words to a printed image to create a new expression. Since these letters are very private media, they seem to make full use of a kind of esoteric language that only the sender and the receiver can understand. At the same time, however, they generate an open and dense “blank”. We regard the letters (correspondence-poem) as a site of collaboration, and aim to reconsider various issues between Takiguchi and Arakawa/Gins through the “blanks” that stir in the letters.
Among the letters from Arakawa/Gins to Takiguchi, there are a number of quasi-productions that go beyond the transmission of errands and updates through a series of letters, and use humor and witty methods to overuse letters, transforming them into a new medium. For example, they added a new message to an old postcard with a message superimposed on the text, or they added arrows or a few words to a printed image to create a new expression. Since these letters are very private media, they seem to make full use of a kind of esoteric language that only the sender and the receiver can understand. At the same time, however, they generate an open and dense “blank”. We regard the letters (correspondence-poem) as a site of collaboration, and aim to reconsider various issues between Takiguchi and Arakawa/Gins through the “blanks” that stir in the letters.
Schedule Now in session | Mar 17 (Mon) 2025-May 30 (Fri) 2025 65 days left Opening Hours Information
| ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fee | Free | ||||
| Website | http://www.art-c.keio.ac.jp/en/news-events/event-archive/artarchive27/ | ||||
| Venue | Keio University Art Center http://www.art-c.keio.ac.jp/en/ | ||||
| Location | Keio University Mita Campus South School Building, 2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8345 | ||||
| Access | 7 minute walk from exit A3 at Mita Station on the Toei Mita and Asakusa lines, 8 minute walk from the Mita exit (West exit) of Tamachi Station on the JR Yamanote and Keihin Tohoku lines. | ||||
| Phone | 03-5427-1621 | ||||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it  |
Back to Articles
SHARE
No comments yet