Japan Contemporaries Series 12
Organized by Motoichi Adachi and Kyoko Sato
Nov 6-11, 2024 | 12-6pm (Monday Appointment Only)
Reception | Saturday, November 9, 2024, 5-7 pm
Gallery60 NYC | 208 East 60th St, New York, NY 10022
tel. 212-752-9229
Artists: Bubble calligraphy artist Kurumi | Junko.Y | Valshia | YOSHIKO IWAI | Kiichi Takeuchi
This exhibition is the 12th in a series of exhibitions organized by Emmy Award-winning TV writer Motoichi Adachi and Kyoko Sato, a curator known for promoting Japanese culture in New York. The exhibition will democratically showcase a wide range of artists who wish to participate. In this series, we aim to introduce an intriguing selection of 4 Japanese artists who create compelling works, regardless of genre or background, into the cutting-edge global art scene. Moreover, in this 12th edition, we are providing opportunities based on the idea that 'all humans are precious, and every artist's work holds value.
Simultaneously, two venues will host the 10th and 11th in the series, Stepping Into A World IV (Gallery Max, 552 Broadway, New York, NY 10012, November 7–13), The Art of Sho (Tenri Cultural Institute, 43A W 13th St, New York, NY 10011, November 5–12). Additionally, there will be a presentation on the Times Square screen (100 Artists of the World, 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036, November 6, 8–9 PM). A total of four venues and 62 Japanese artists will showcase their works, creating a whirlwind of Japanese art on New York’s art scene.
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"I cut through the art world with the sensibility that has long been active in the world of Japanese television. We want to bring a new wind of free and unrestrained ideas to a world that values old traditions. Beautiful works are beautiful and interesting works are interesting, even if they are not from famous art universities or patronized by influential galleries. We want to let attractive artists run amok in the world. I would like to try an unconventional challenge this time.”
Well-Being Art
Organized by: Art Incubation Association, NPO Action
November 6 (Wed) – 11 (Mon), 2024, 12 – 6 PM
Reception: Saturday, November 9, 2024, 5 – 7 PM
Gallery 60 NYC | 208 East 60th St, New York, NY 10022
Tel: (347) 601-4323
Well-being, a measure promoted by the WHO and the United Nations, represents a global social movement that further develops the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is an important keyword for both the current era, where people are living longer, and for society in the future. Derived from the words "well" (good) and "being" (state), well-being is defined as a "good state for individuals and society." We aim to realize this well-being through art.
Well-being includes:
Feelings of happiness and satisfaction in life
Self-evaluation of one's living conditions
Emotions such as joy and excitement
Currently, the international community has set 17 common goals through the SDGs, aiming for a society where no one is left behind. However, the target year for achieving these goals is 2030. Looking beyond that, a movement is starting to establish new international goals that focus on people's "well-being."
This movement, emerging in various international organizations and corporations, advocates for SWGs (Sustainable Well-being Goals), a set of goals that aim to achieve sustainable well-being for all. SWGs are rapidly gaining attention as the next global goal.
Dr. Martin Seligman, an American psychologist, has proposed a model called PERMA that outlines the conditions for well-being.
PERMA stands for:
Positive Emotion: Feeling positive emotions
Engagement: Immersion in something
Relationships: Connections with others
Meaning: Finding meaning in life
Accomplishment: A sense of achievement
It suggests that people who fulfill these five aspects are happy. We believe that children's art activities perfectly align with this model:
"P" for approaching art with a positive mindset
"E" for immersing themselves in the creation process
"R" for discussing their work with peers
"A" for the sense of accomplishment upon completion
"M" for cultivating self-worth and a sense of meaning in life
In rapidly developing Southeast Asian nations, children face a common issue: the sheer number of children means that education cannot reach everyone. The proportion of children under 18 in Japan is 16%, while in the Philippines, a central country in this movement, it is as high as 40% (according to UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report).
In Manila, the capital of the Philippines, classrooms are so scarce that one room must be shared by:
1st and 2nd graders in the morning
3rd and 4th graders at midday
5th and 6th graders in the afternoon
During the times when a class isn't in session, students cannot attend school. Basic subjects such as language, mathematics, science, and social studies are insufficiently taught, and arts and music education is often neglected. We believe that fostering emotional education through art is essential for creating a prosperous society and a better future for the world. Through this initiative, we aim to provide education that nurtures the heart, which schools do not offer. In this exhibition, we will showcase paintings created by children from the Philippines and Thailand, and the proceeds will be used to support their art education. We would greatly appreciate your support.
— Motoichi Adachi
After World War II, many Japanese artists migrated to New York, dreaming of success in the world. Nearly 80 years have passed since the end of the war, and although conditions in the industry have changed, the trend nowadays remains the same. This exhibition will be held in the most luxurious neighborhood of south of Upper East Side of Manhattan, adjacent to midtown and department store Bloomingdales, and this is where the free energy of Japanese contemporary art will be released. The New York art scene has also been arranged in a pecking order with value based on academic background and career. However, we believe all races are equal, all genders are equal and wonderful. Based on this, we would like to bravely apply this pioneering thinking to the value of artists and art through this exhibition.
— Kyoko Sato
Sato is a curator based in New York and a leading figure on introducing Japanese culture. In 2022, she curated the exhibition “Japan’s Anime Sweeping the World" (organized by The Nippon Club, NY), and from 2023, she has curated the Japan Contemporaries Series, with Motoichi Adachi, one of Japan's leading broadcasters, which has already introduced about 70 artists from Japan through a program that enables them to exhibit in New York. She is also the editor-in-chief of Japan Contemporaries, an American art magazine. She collaborated with the Asahi Shimbun to realize the " Ancient Egyptian Queens and Goddesses: Treasures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York” (2014, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and Kobe City Museum). She founded the Asian programming at WhiteBox, a New York art space known for its avant-garde exhibitions, and served as its director from 2018 to 2021. She curated “Hiroko Koshino: A Touch of Bauhaus” (2018), and curated the historic exhibition "A Colossal Word: Japanese Artists and New York, 1950s-Present," which featured 55 Japanese artists, including Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, Shigeko Kubota, Hiroshi Senju, Takashi Murakami, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Kunié Sugiura, and Tomokazu Matsuyama.
