Tokyo Gendai announces galleries and themed sectors for the second edition on July 5–7, 2024.

Tokyo Gendai has revealed further details about the highlights and program of the second edition at PACIFICO Yokohama Hall C/D from July 5 to 7, 2024 (VIP preview and opening on July 4). The international art fair gives visitors the chance to connect and connect with Tokyo’s vibrant cultural scene, offering the opportunity to discover new perspectives through the fair’s extensive program of talks, curated exhibitions, new commissions and side events celebrating the best that Japan has to offer.

The program includes: Tsubomi “Flower Bud” – an exhibition dedicated to four women artists; Art Talks, a program of conversations with thought leaders from the world of art; presentations of renowned local institutions as part of Ne ‘Root’; large-scale installations within Sato’s “Meadow”; a new series of workshops for children; and dedicated evenings in the galleries. The program is complemented by a world-class presentation of international contemporary art brought together by 72 galleries from around the world.

The most important information in the program

After a successful debut last year, Tsubomi “Flower Bud” returns, this year presenting the work of four artists of different nationalities, generations and cultural identities. The exhibition titled ALL THINGS ARE DELICATELY INTERCONNECTED will be presented by SPECTRUM, an international collective of curators and art professionals who develop art projects that confront ideas about representation and diversity, and co-curated by Marina Amada, a Paris- and Kyoto-based artist, curator of contemporary art and co-founder of SPECTRUM, and Soojung Yi, curator at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Korea. The exhibition showcases works that reflect our relationship with civilizations and the natural environment, showcasing work from a diverse range of artists, from recent works by emerging and underrepresented artists to once-underrepresented works by established artists. The artists include: New York-based artist Mika Tajima of TARO NASU (Tokyo), whose work includes painting, sculpture, film and performance; New York artist Miya Ando of Sundaram Tagore Gallery (New York, Singapore, London), who grew up between a Buddhist temple in Japan and a redwood forest in northern California, creates art rooted in the coexistence of Eastern and Western cultures through the prism of natural phenomena; American conceptual artist Jenny Holzer of SCAI THE BATHHOUSE (Tokyo), whose work utilizes text in public spaces through a range of media including electronic signs, carved stone, paintings, billboards and printed materials; and Thai visual artist Sareena Sattapon of SAC Gallery (Bangkok), whose work spans various media such as performance art, photography, video art and installation.

Curator Marina Amada says: “I founded SPECTRUM in 2020 with friends, curators and supporters to launch initiatives and art projects that open up conversations about diversity in Japan; Our goal is to honor the spectrum of individuality and support underrepresented artists. Their position as underdogs and outsiders to the dominant ideology often gives them an interesting vantage point from which unseen ideas and approaches can emerge. We are excited to be part of Tokyo Gendai’s diverse programming, which offers unique perspectives from artists who have demonstrated extraordinary creativity in confronting others and negotiating difference in their practices.”

The Sato “Meadow” fair will feature four large-scale, tailored installations highlighting new themes in contemporary art. Tomio Koyama Gallery (Tokyo) will present an installation by Kishio Suga, a key member of the Mono-ha (literally translated as “School of Things”) art movement that emerged in Tokyo in the late 1960s and 1970s, titled System of Neighborhood. In creating his works, Suga uses objects such as wood, stone, metal and rope to demonstrate the equal and interdependent relationships between nature, things and people. Meanwhile, GALLERY SIDE 2 (Tokyo) will present “Every Game Begins with “LOVE” by Udomsak Krisanamis, which will consist of the artist’s paintings, a chessboard game with original chairs and an analog record playback system that invites the viewer to interact. KOTARO NUKAGA (Tokyo) will present The Cowboy on the Grass from Yuichiro E Tamura, a performative work created especially for Tokyo Gendai, in which three cowboys in bandanas rest on a huge carpet decorated with green bandanas, and the composition is based on The Luncheon from The Grass by Edouard Manet . MtK Contemporary Art (Kyoto) will present LINES, an installation by Kengo Kito, who collaborated with the video creator to create a series of works that will be streamed against the backdrop of the display.

The fair will also feature Ne “Root”, presenting several leading local foundations that organize special demonstrations of their work. The Odawara Art Foundation, founded by contemporary artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, will hold a presentation on the Enoura Observatory concept, as well as the Kankitsuzan Art Museum, which is scheduled to begin construction later this year. In addition, the foundation will also present the Keika House plan designed by Seiichi Shirai, scheduled for relocation and completion in 2025. The Fukutake Foundation will introduce new activities at the Benesse Art Site Naoshima, including a new art museum, scheduled to open in spring 2025. The Yoshii Foundation will present Kiyoharu Art Colony, an art and cultural complex in the city of Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, operated by the foundation as its base. The Obayashi Foundation will provide an overview of its support for artists, thinkers and researchers, with a focus on urban development and building healthy cities. Meanwhile, CADAN: Nippon Contemporary Art Dealers Association will present My Pick, an exhibition where art collectors introduce their favorite artists and share how they enjoy collecting art, as well as the activities of the CADAN Yurakucho gallery space, which reopened in May 2024 .

Art Talks, the fair’s program of engaging conversations about contemporary art, will feature eight discussions on key trends, themes and developments in the contemporary art world, with thought leaders from within and beyond the art world, including Alexander SC Rower (President of the Calder Foundation) , Marc Glimcher (CEO of Pace Gallery), Mami Kataoka (director of Mori Museum), Miwa Taguchi (co-founder of Taguchi Art Collection), Eriko Kimura (director of Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art), Pedro Erber (professor, Waseda University), Ritsue Mishima ( artist) and Jun Ishida (Head of Editorial Content for GQ JAPAN).

New for 2024: Tokyo Gendai presents IntoArt, a series of daily workshops for children led by Tokyo Gendai exhibiting artists. Organized by Gotoschool Inc., there will also be a corner where children will be able to freely use a variety of art materials, as well as stands presenting books and films about art.

Satellite events and VIP program

The week surrounding the fair includes a packed program of special events, exhibitions and gallery evenings to celebrate the best art and culture Japan has to offer. The opening party for Tokyo Gendai will be held on July 4 at the Yokohama Art Museum and will feature a performance by Ranshou Fujima, dancer and choreographer.

The VIP program will include trips to Kanazawa, Yamanashi, Kanagawa Prefecture and Tokyo. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa (Kanazawa) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and will present a number of exhibitions, including one dedicated to pop-up art, featuring the work of 12 artists. The Keith Haring Museum (Yamanashi) is the only museum in the world dedicated to Keith Haring, an artist representing American art of the 1980s. Pola Museum of Art (Kanagawa) will present Philippe Parreno: Places and Spaces, one of Parreno’s largest solo exhibitions in Japan, covering his diverse oeuvre, from his early works in the 1990s to an installation presented for the first time with his well-known film Marilyn among the highlights events. Meanwhile, the Mori Art Museum (Tokyo) is organizing Theaster Gates: Afro-Mingei, Theaster Gates’ first solo exhibition in Japan and the largest ever in Asia, presenting a new hybrid of black and Japanese cultures through ceramics, architecture and music.

Warehouse TERRADA will host TENNOZ ART WEEK from June 27 to July 15 with an exclusive Gallery Night at TERRADA ART COMPLEX, one of the most important art complexes in Japan, home to many leading art galleries, on July 6 coinciding with Tokyo Gendai. Highlights include a new installation by internationally-acclaimed artist Tabaimo and three independent animators, as well as nightly shows at WHAT MUSEUM and WHAT CAFE.