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July 8, 2020
NANZUKA Presents “GLOBAL POP UNDERGROUND” Exhibition at Shibuya PARCO | PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO
PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO
A group exhibition exploring Japan's unique history of art nurtured alongside popular culture, through an "underground" lens.
At PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO, a group exhibition titled “GLOBAL POP UNDERGROUND,” curated by the contemporary art gallery NANZUKA in Shibuya, will be held from Saturday, July 4 to Sunday, July 26, 2020.
Text by OZAKI Sayaka | Edit by TSUCHIDA Takashi
Artists with diverse backgrounds and underground cultures participate.
The “GLOBAL POP UNDERGROUND” exhibition at PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO follows the concept of “Tokyo Pop Underground,” which toured Jeffery Deitch galleries in New York and Los Angeles in 2019. It is a curated exhibition that reinterprets Japan's unique art through the lens of the "underground."
Historically, what was considered art in Japan until the Meiji period also served as part of everyday utility, which is why Japan's unique art developed in fusion with popular culture. Today, calligraphy, folding screens, sliding door paintings, and tea ceremony utensils, which are considered crafts, were originally made for practical purposes. Similarly, there is an endless array of such creative works, from decorative charms (netsuke) used as keychains, ukiyo-e prints positioned as posters and bromide images, to lifelike figures called "ikinningyo" created for entertainment and spectacle.
These "creative works," by virtue of their popularity, were inherently "pop" and can be considered "underground," distinct from the context of academic art.
Building on this context, “GLOBAL POP UNDERGROUND” presents an intermingling of fringe (outsider) narratives occurring simultaneously worldwide, serving as an antithesis to the fixed notions of hierarchy within art academia. Some works contain expressions of sex and violence, intentionally included by artists to convey statements of anti-authoritarianism, anti-monolithic control, and anti-uniform justice.
For example, the exhibition features works by artists who have not traditionally received acclaim in "fine art" circles, such as Keiichi Tanaami's mandala-like paintings derived from his wartime experiences; Harumi Yamaguchi's sexual and aggressive portraits of women created alongside the feminist sexual revolution movement in the 1970s; and Hajime Sorayama, who continues to depict primal human desires through the filter of robotic forms.
Furthermore, this exhibition focuses on artists who have forged unique careers across national borders. American artist Peter Saul, as early as the late 1950s, was creating works employing pop art techniques that quoted comic strip characters, but his intensely satirical style kept him at a distance from the art establishment for a long time.
Similarly, American artist Joyce Pensato, who continued to depict American-born characters with her distinctive brushwork and sadly passed away last year, never gained widespread recognition until her later years, as she did not ride the waves of success within the art world dictated by major movements or trends.
In addition to these legendary artists who walked their own paths, the exhibition also highlights younger generations. Spanish artist Javiere Calleja, influenced by Japanese manga, creates portraits of characters with large eyes using surrealist methodologies. Haloshi, who uses his self-taught skills to create wooden sculptures from used skateboards. Hiroki Tsukuda, with a background in graphic design. British artist Oliver Payne, who has produced numerous works themed around "PUNKs" as a symbolic enemy of the vested interests that manage contemporary society. Through the works of artists with diverse backgrounds in illustration, design, manga, street art, and underground culture, the exhibition systematically showcases the diversity of contemporary art in progress.
The current cultural phenomenon of the "underground" movement can also be seen as a counter-response to the increasingly isolationist social conditions in developed nations.
GLOBAL POP UNDERGROUND
Venue | PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO (Shibuya PARCO 4F)
Address | 15-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 03-6455-2697
Dates | Saturday, July 4 - Sunday, July 26, 2020
Hours | 11:00 - 21:00*Last admission 30 minutes before closing. Closes at 18:00 on the final day.
*Due to measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, operating hours may be subject to change, and admission may be restricted.
*Timed entry system
