Gallery's Picks for the Month（Uchiboso Art Festival in Chiba）

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Hyakunengo Art Festival

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Set against the backdrop of the landscapes of the five cities in Uchiboso, artists and creators will demonstrate their creativity by unveiling new artworks. Under the guidance of General Producer Takeshi Kobayashi and Art Director Fram Kitagawa, approximately 80 up-and-coming contemporary artists from around the world will be invited to exhibit artworks utilizing various techniques such as painting, sculpture, video, and installation indoors and outdoors. Visitors can explore the charms of these areas by touring the five cities with the artworks as landmarks.

[Duration]
March 23, 2024 (Sat) - May 26, 2024 (Sun) *Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Except April 30 and May 1. Some facilities will remain open.) (Total of 49 days)

[Opening Hours]
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM *Opening days and hours may vary depending on the artwork.

[Venues]
Five cities in Uchiboso (Ichihara, Kisarazu, Kimitsu, Sodegaura, Futtsu)

[Art Viewing Passport]
Purchase here　
Pre-sale: (General) ¥2,500, (Children/Middle and high-school students) ¥1,000 / On the day: (General) ¥3,500, (Children/Middle and high-school students) ¥2,000

[General Producer]
Takeshi Kobayashi

[Art Director]
Flam Kitagawa
Official Website
 

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【Ichihara City】 Bunpei KADO

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Bunpei KADO, born in Fukui in 1978, is a Japanese artist active not only in Tokyo but also across Asia. The essence of Kado's work lies in rediscovering the mundane aspects of daily life. He often combines ordinary objects like pieces of a puzzle, shifting their original functions and meanings to evoke new perspectives. While occasionally addressing heavy themes that can be interpreted as reflections of contemporary society's darker aspects, Kado's approach remains analytical, consistently bright, and uniquely his own. His creations strike a balance between an initial appearance of toy-like whimsy and a relatable everyday essence accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. As French art critic Clélia Zernik remarked, Kado's works reveal "the coexistence of lightness and weightiness, making visible the unseen contradictions and absurdities of contemporary society," and the "light leaps" that Kado imbues in his artwork distinctly indicate the role that art plays in society. Actively participating in art fairs and international group exhibitions, Kado has garnered attention from art circles both domestically and internationally.

Exhibited Artwork at Uchiboso Art Festival: "Homing" 2024 (New Work)

Concept:
In the Kazusa region, there is a custom of giving kites on Children's Day to wish for the health of newborns. "Perhaps they overlaid the future of children on the sight of kites soaring high in the sky. However, I also think that kites appear free and powerful because there is always a reassuring place to return to at the end of the string," says Kado. The artist creates an installation of planets and kites within the old wooden school building that may have served as a refuge for children in this area. Kites of various sizes gather towards this nostalgic place.

Exhibition Period: March 23 - May 26, 2024 (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except April 30th and May 1st)
Venue: Uchida Mirai School, Ichihara City (174-8 Yado, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture)

Available Artwork: "Moon Landing" 2022 / Drawing on paper, framed / 490 x 415 x 30mm / ASK

Here, we introduce Kado's drawing artwork. This piece depicts an image of trees resembling darts landing on the moon's surface. It showcases Kado's characteristic clarity that allows anyone to share the imagery and a humorous touch that may bring a smile to your face. Kado mentioned that during his solo exhibition held in Shibuya in 2022, the keyword "migration to space" emerged when he contemplated human habitats, driven by his imaginative scientific thinking. Being able to discuss future living environments and natural environments with both humor and awareness of issues might be considered one of the strengths of art.

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【Ichihara City】 Yuma TOMIYASU

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Yuma Tomiyasu was born in Hiroshima in 1983. After studying for both undergraduate and master's degrees at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London, she obtained her Ph.D. in Fine Arts from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2017. She presents immersive installation and painting works that evoke perceptions of unseen or uncertain existence in viewers. Some of her notable exhibitions include solo exhibition "In Presence of Shadows" (Maruki Gallery For The Hiroshima Panels, 2023), "Setouchi Triennale 2022" (Toshima, 2022), "Aperto 15 Yuma Tomiyasu - The Pale Horse" (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, 2021-22), and "Shadows of Wandering" (KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre, 2021). Her major awards include being a finalist for the "TERRADA ART AWARD 2023" (2023), receiving the Special Prize at the 21st Taro Okamoto Contemporary Art Award (2018), and being selected for the 12th shiseido art egg Award (2018), and more.

Exhibited Artwork at Uchiboso Art Festival: "Jacob’s Ladder (Dream For Ascension) " 2021

Concept:
This artwork, displayed in the staircase from the 2nd floor to the 3rd floor and from the 3rd floor to the ladder space to the rooftop of the former Heizan Primary School, explores the theme of "ascension." "Jacob’s Ladder" refers to the ladder stretching from heaven to earth that Jacob saw in a dream in the Old Testament. Additionally, "Ascension" means "rising" in Japanese, but in Christianity, it represents "the ascent of the soul to heaven." Through the act of climbing the stairs and viewing the artwork, viewers are prompted to contemplate the unanswered question of "death."

Exhibition Period: March 23 - May 26, 2024 (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except April 30th and May 1st)
Venue: Heisan Gathering Square [Former Heisan Primary School], Ichihara City (808 Heizo, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture)

Exhibited Artwork at Uchiboso Art Festival: "The TOWER (Descension To The Emerald City) " 2021

Concept:
This artwork explores the theme of "descent." It originates from the artist's childhood dream of falling inside an emerald-colored tower and the fictional city "Emerald City" from "The Wizard of Oz." Named "The TOWER" due to the elongated vertical layout of the venue, this piece features the tarot card motif of "The TOWER," depicting the collapse of the tower and the descent of people.

Exhibition Period: March 23 - May 26, 2024 (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except April 30th and May 1st)
Venue: Heisan Gathering Square [Former Heisan Primary School], Ichihara City (808 Heizo, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture)

Exhibited Artwork at Uchiboso Art Festival: "Three on the Level" 2024 (New Work)

Concept:
Among the three Tomiyasu's works at the venue, following the themes of "ascension" and "descent" for the first and second pieces respectively, this work is crafted around the keyword "horizontal/equilibrium." The number "3" which serves as the motif for the artwork, has been traditionally used in philosophical and religious contexts such as the pyramid and the Holy Trinity in Christianity. Triangles symbolize stability, while concepts like "third party" or "third person" denote neutrality and objectivity. Centered around Tomiyasu's significant theme of "overlapping perspectives," this piece aims to create a fantastical experience in a darkened science classroom.

Exhibition Period: March 23 - May 26, 2024 (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except April 30th and May 1st)
Venue: Heisan Gathering Square [Former Heisan Primary School], Ichihara City (808 Heizo, Ichihara City, Chiba Prefecture)

Available Artwork: "Shadows of Wandering (The Paintings)" 2021 / Oil on Panel, Framed / 1120 x 1455 mm / Exhibited at "KAAT Solo Exhibition 2021 Shadows of Wandering" / ASK

The piece "Shadows of Wandering (The Paintings)" by Yuma Tomiyasu, introduced here, was created in 2021 and depicts a certain ruin as its motif. This artwork was produced around the same time as Tomiyasu's previous works exhibited at "Ichihara Art x Mix 2020+," namely "Jacob's Ladder" and "The TOWER (Descension To The Emerald City)."

Subsequently, this artwork, exhibited at a solo exhibition held at KAAT Kanagawa Arts Theatre, was presented in conjunction with the installation of the solo exhibition. The installation space resembled a ruin, with video works depicting the ruin, paintings appearing within it, and the ruin depicted in the painting…… These elements, nested within one another, left viewers losing their sense of place within the layers of dimensions. This immersive experience, where one loses track of their position, is a significant element of Tomiyasu's works. And these paintings, created by Tomiyasu himself, play a role in inducing such illusions.

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【Sodegaura City】Koichiro AZUMA

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Koichiro Azuma is currently enrolled in the Doctoral Program in the Department of Intermedia Art, Tokyo University of the Arts. He is an artist who primarily creates moving three-dimensional works using junk and metal, such as bicycles. He has received the Miyata Ryohei Award, the Salon de Printemps Award, was selected for the 24th Taro Okamoto Contemporary Art Award (TARO Prize), and participated in the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2022. Engaging in research on regional arts, he planned the art project "Hoshi to Umi no Geijutsu Matsuri" (Star and Sea Art Festival) in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture. His experience of attempting intervention through art in the issue of abandoned bicycles in Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture, has become his representative activity to this day, continuing in various parts of Japan. Through the process of collecting discarded bicycles and the interactions with people that arise from it, he weaves together fragments of memory, infusing new life into his works, which are then returned to the community, creating a mechanism for revitalization.

Exhibited Artwork at Uchiboso Art Festival: "Future Well" 2024 (New Work)

Concept:
The artist focuses on the dynamism of the "Kazusabori" well digging technique, which has been developed and evolved in the Nishi-Kazusa region, particularly in the Obitsugawa river and Koitogawa river basins, and integrates it with his own signature large-scale metalwork.
The artwork actually incorporates excavation functionality, allowing visitors to experience the piece firsthand by digging into it themselves. As the exhibition progresses, the depth of the hole increases, forming a new history of traditional techniques that will be etched into people's memories.

Exhibition Period: March 23 - May 26, 2024 (Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, except April 30th and May 1st)
Venue: Sodegaura City, Sodegaura Park (2360 Iitomi, Sodegaura City, Chiba Prefecture)

Available Artwork: "machinery duchamp" 2023 / ASK

Koichiro Azuma is an artist who triggers chain reactions with a single force, creating new "movements." He has created this in various forms, from iconic large-scale three-dimensional works to initiatives that create connections and activities with local communities and people. Azuma's artistic expression often evokes various emotions in viewers (or participants), serving as devices that generate empathy and resonance.

The artwork introduced here is "machinery duchamp," created by Azuma in 2023. Inspired by Marcel Duchamp (1887 - 1968), considered a pioneer of contemporary art, this piece was created based on Duchamp's first readymade artwork, "Bicycle Wheel" (1913). After more than a century, the simple disc-shaped wheel now rotates automatically. What message does this convey to contemporary society? This piece offers a new attempt, distinct from Azuma's previous large-scale manually operated bicycle works.

Hyakunengo Art Festival - Uchiboso Art Festival - will be held from March 23rd to May 26th.
During the event, day trips by bus that tour all five cities in the Uchiboso region are also planned. We encourage you to visit us at your leisure. （Official Website）

*Please note that the artworks available for sale in the gallery are not on constant display. Kindly inquire or make reservations　before your visit.