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photo: Kenji Aoki |
We cannot talk about Kenji
Yanobe without mentioning Banpaku, or the Japan World
Exposition, which was held in 1970 on the hills of
Senri, Osaka.
Although Yanobe was born in 1965 and was raised in
the neighborhood not so far from the Banpaku site,
he has almost no memory of the event itself. Rather,
he clearly recalls sneaking into the site and playing
there after the event was over. He also remembers
watching the pavilions being gradually demolished.
His childhood experience of witnessing such an extremely
rare scene (which Yanobe calls “future ruins”) eventually
became a critical factor that influenced his later
career as an artist. Since he presented “Tanking
Machine” in his solo exhibition in 1990, Yanobe continued
to advance his successful career by producing attention-drawing
artworks one after another. He created armament, vehicles,
radiation protective suits, and others in similar motifs,
many of which had a distinctive and unique figure by
describing themselves as necessities for surviving
the world’s terminal days. At that time, the keywords
that inspired Yanobe’s creation were “delusion” and
“survival.” |
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ATOM
SUIT PROJECT:
NURSERY SCHOOL, Chernobyl 1997
photo: Russell Liebman |
TANKING
MACHINE 1990
photo: Shin Kurosawa |
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TORAYAN 2004
photo: S eiji Toyonaga |
In 1997, Yanobe started
“Atom Suit Project,” for which he visited
post-accident Chernobyl and other places
wearing his home-made radiation suit. While
his expressions evolved as he directly witnessed
the scenes of catastrophes, such experience
of having to face such harsh realities eventually
made him reconsider his position. As we entered
the 21st century, Yanobe established his
new theme, “revival,” for his later creations.
In 2003, Yanobe held his retrospective exhibition
titled “Megalomania” at the National Museum
of Art, Osaka, which was then located at
the former Banpaku site. For Yanobe, reflecting
back on his past activities at the place
of his roots was the turning point of his career. |
| Yanobe’s current activities are centered on his new character, “Torayan.” Torayan
is modeled after a ventriloquist’s dummy which Yanobe’s father used at a related
event of “Megalomania.” Although his body is only the size of a 3-year-old toddler,
Torayan has comb-over hair and a little mustache and is dressed in a child-size
radiation suit. For Yanobe, Torayan, who is neither an adult nor a child, is
a very special being and has become a source of creative ideas and an occasional
guide for a new direction. |
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Yokosuka Museum of
Art opening commemorative exhibition:
“Ikiru (Live)” 2007
photo: Seiji Toyonaga |
GIANT
TORAYAN 2005
photo: Seiji Toyonaga |
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2004, Yanobe has presented his works featuring
Torayan at various art museums throughout the
country, including the 21st Century Museum
of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, the Toyota Municipal
Museum of Art (Aichi), the Kirishima Open-Air
Museum (Kagoshima), and the Toride Art Project
(Ibaraki). Based on his own methodology that
emphasizes cooperative work with local communities
and people, Yanobe seems to be gradually carving
out a new potential for art. In August, he
also published a picture book, titled “Torayan-no
Daiboken (the great adventure of Torayan).”
By combining a documentary of artistic creation
with fantasy, Yanobe created an unprecedented
form of book that functions as a storybook
and also as an installation tool. |
From his picture book: “Torayan-no Daiboken” |
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It seems to me that Yanobe is making his attempt to
completely change the conventional image of artists.
As he continues his activities to inspire a number
of people without relying on existing frameworks, I
find a future image of an artist in the 21st century
in Yanobe, who makes me so hopeful for what he may
bring to our future. |
November 8, 2007
Takafumi Kobuki, a freelance art writer |
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| Born in Osaka, Yanobe received “Kirin Contemporary
Art Award” grand prize for his acclaimed work, “Tanking Machine
(1990).” He has held and participated in a number of exhibitions
both in and outside Japan, and worked on collaboration projects
with Issey Miyake and Arata Isozaki. He also occasionally directs
young artists as a curator. Yanobe continues his unique and
energetic activities while focusing on the close relationship
with history and people of the local community. |
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Kenji Yanobe: The Great Adventure of Torayan
-Phantasmagoria-
Dec. 7 (Fri.), 2007 - Jan. 19 (Sat.), 2008
Closed on Sunday, Monday, public holiday, and Dec. 23 (Sun.)
- Jan. 7 (Mon.)
11:00 - 19:00 (11:00 - 17:00 for Saturday)
ARTCOURT Gallery
OAP ARTCOURT 1F
1-8-5 Tenmabashi, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi
TEL: 06-6354-5444
URL: http://www.artcourtgallery.com/
Picture book “Torayan-no Daiboken”
AKAAKA Art Publishing
Standard edition: 1,890 yen, Special edition: 3,990 yen *tax
included
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Author Profile
Takafumi Kobuki
Worked as an editor for an information magazine and became a freelancer in 2005.
Writes art-related articles for Kyoto Shimbun, Bijutsu Techo, Pia Kansai, ELLE,
artscape (online) and more.
Personal website: “Katte-ni RECOMMEND”
URL: http://www.recommend.ecnet.jp/
Personal blog: “Takafumi Kobuki: Art-no Kobujime”
URL: http://www.keyis.jp/ |
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