The Art Tower Mito will present a solo exhibition by
Daniel Buren (born in Paris in 1938),
who will create a new work in our space. Daniel Buren, on
e of France's outstanding contemporary artists,
has gained a worldwide fame
for his striped cloth works since the latter half of the 1960's.
The artist calls these stripes, or his trademark as it were,
"a visual tool." After his words, to produce stripes in various
spots is to measure their locality anew as one measures length
with a ruler. This remark implies, in a profound connotation,
renewed measurement of human existence in the world.
Buren's measurement is not limited to those places where we have so far
presumed the "presence of art." Purposely getting out of museums and
galleries, he sets up stripes in various locations such as railroad
stations and streets. This act is one of criticism against the
manner and system of existing art. Hence it is an event of special
significance that Buren is giving an exhibition at a museum, because
Buren's exhibition criticizes and breaks down the museum and
reconstructs it as his own work.
Buren has developed the new work from inspiration he received from
seeing the Art Tower Mito,
the building designed by
Arata Isozaki; he thus changes the edifice itself from
"a museum exhibiting art works" into "his work." He is not merely
critical of the architecture but is willing to challenge the concept of
the museum or the relationship between the museum and artist.
On his first visit to Art Tower Mito, Buren perceived
"transparent light" produced by Arata Isozaki's building.
He began planning his work by considering how to convert
this "light" into his own. Thus many mirrors are used to transform
light, colors give energy to make it visible, and stripes appear
as a means to measure the complicated space.
While embodying the new concept for exhibitions proposed by the
Contemporary Art Center of Art Tower Mito, an institution operating in
search of new manners of art, this exhibition serves as the museum's
magnificent demonstration of "renewed measurement" in Buren's sense.
During this exhibition, gallery concerts, a dance performance, an
interview with Daniel Buren and series of lectures by Japanese and
French panelists will be given as in the following program.
Events during the exhibition
- Saturday, August 3; from 15:00;
dance performance, "Opening Fanfare"
- Sunday, August 4; from 14:00;
interview, "With Daniel Buren"
- Tuesday, August 6 to Sunday, October 20;
"Rainbow" (a flag project at the arcade of
the Minami-machi 3 chome Shopping Street)
- Sundays, October 6, 13, 20 and 27; from 14:00;
lecture series, "Today's Art Space"
- Sunday, November 3; from 15:00;
gallery concert, "Two Minimal Pieces"
- Sunday, November 10; from 15:00;
gallery concert, "French Electric"
