ART | The Triennial Contemporary Art Festival "Yokohama Triennale 2014"

ART | This Year's Artistic Director is Artist Yasumasa Morimura!

Yokohama Triennale 2014, a Triennial Celebration of Contemporary Art, Opens

The triennial international exhibition of contemporary art, Yokohama Triennale 2014, is being held with Yokohama Museum of Art and Shin-Kinko Pier as its main venues, running until November 3 (Mon, holiday). This year, acclaimed artist Yasumasa Morimura serves as the Artistic Director, presenting works by 65 artists and groups, totaling 79 individuals from around the world. The exhibition invites us on a journey exploring 'forgetting'.

Text by YANAKA Tomomi

A Journey Through 'Forgetting,' Comprising 11 Episodes

Launched in 2001 and now in its fifth iteration, this year's Yokohama Triennale is titled 'ART Fahrenheit 451: The Sea of Oblivion at the Center of the World.' The title was chosen by Artistic Director Yasumasa Morimura, known for his self-portraits embodying historical and cultural figures, inspired by Ray Bradbury's 1953 science fiction novel 'Fahrenheit 451,' which depicts a future where reading is forbidden.

The exhibition unfolds across two venues, beginning with an 'Art Bin' for art by Michael Landy, serving as a prologue, followed by 11 'episodes.' Approximately 400 works are on display, ranging from pieces by currently active contemporary artists both Japanese and international, such as Miwa Yanagi and Eric Baudelaire, to paintings and video works by artists who have passed away, like René Magritte and Marcel Broodthaers.

In Episode 3, 'How Fahrenheit 451 Appeared in Art,' Michael Rakowitz presents a work using stones from Bamiyan, destroyed by the Taliban, to recreate books from a German library bombed by the British in 1941.

Michael Landy, "Art Bin," 2010/2014. Photo: Yuichiro Tanaka. Courtesy: Yokohama Triennale Organizing Committee.

Episode 6, titled 'The Soliloquy of the Terrible Children,' features minor works created by Andy Warhol in the 1970s, which can be seen as experimental solo performances, alongside short 16mm films by Joseph Cornell. Additionally, works related to the ongoing Sapporo International Art Festival 2014 and the Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale opening in September will be showcased.

Beyond the main venues, a variety of events are being held. In the Koganecho-Hinodecho area, the 'Virtual Community Asia - Koganecho Bazaar 2014' exhibition features works by 38 emerging artists from Asia and beyond, exploring the concept of 'virtual communities.' At Elephant Nose Terrace, the international exhibition 'Yokohama Barrier-Free Triennale 2014' showcases contemporary art born from the collaboration between individuals with disabilities and professionals from diverse fields, transforming the entire city into an art space.

We invite you to witness what lies at the destination of this 'journey of forgetting,' as if searching for things we have unconsciously let slip away.

Michio Fukuoka, Exhibition View. Photo: Yuichiro Tanaka. Courtesy: Yokohama Triennale Organizing Committee.

Yokohama Triennale 2014
Period | August 1 (Fri) - November 3 (Mon, holiday)
Hours | 10:00–18:00 (*13 September (Sat), 11 October (Sat), 1 November (Sat) until 20:00. Last admission 30 minutes before closing.)
Closed | First and third Thursdays (September 4, September 18, October 2, October 16)
Venue | Yokohama Museum of Art
3-4-1 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama
Shin-Kinko Pier (New Port Pier Exhibition Facility)
2-5 Shinko, Naka-ku, Yokohama
Tickets | General ¥1,800, University/Vocational School Students ¥1,200, High School Students ¥800

Hello Dial
Tel. 03-5777-8600 / 050-5541-8600 (8:00–22:00)
www.yokohamatriennale.jp