Books, Books, Books and Beans

  Yesterday I had a two hour 'Taidan' (dialogue/ conversation) with the artist Takafumi Hara , for his forthcoming monograph published by the micro self publisher WHO. We sat in the Holy cafe in back street Daikanyama with the editor Sugihara san and talked. We then walked up to Saigoyama Koen, a small hillock park overlooking Nakameguro to be photographed. WHO have thus far self published three artists books. Each edition is wholly conceived, designed, photographed, printed and bound by one person, and sold in small editions at Nadiff or other specialist bookstores. Hara san's book is due out in late January.

Last week I had another 'Taidan' with two editors from the famous post 1968 art publishers FilmArt. We sat, in true Showa writers style, on chairs inside a Renoir Cafe (the original salon style Japanese cafe repleat with sofas and smoking salaymen pre Starbucks, Dotour) in Yotsuya. This talk was interesting in that it was my contribution to a new anthology being published in February about curatorial practice in Japan. As I cannot write in Japanese but speak it fluently, the publishers decided to meet with me and record our conversation, which they very kindly transcribed into a text. I have 'written' for three little sections in the book: on the internet and new media and curating, on club culture and art practice and on how we call art art. I think it will be one of the first and only books to be published in Japan which looks into issues of recent curatorial practice and thinking from a Japanese perspective.

And finally, the day before yesterday I was e-mailed by the bi-lingual art magazine ArtIt and notified of my inclusion in their January/February issue on...you guessed...curating. The Japanese only BT magazine is also strangely doing a 'Work in the Art World' issue early next year.

I am not sure of the reasons for this sudden interest in curatorial practice. Perhaps with the economy in recession, editors have finally reached the bottom of their pile of ideas for issues....the last three years of the art boom here has seen popular magazines such as Brutus cover everything from art museum architecture, art collecting, artists studios and international exhibitions. As the economy dips the perceived glamour of such topics perhaps fades, to be replaced by another kind of spectacle in focusing on individuals who are perceived to be connoisseurs, forecasting and assuring people that art will be OK, whatever the state of the economy. Thinking about this in a more positive way, I do think that such issues can perhaps raise more questions than answers and confuse the usually simplified formations in which art is presented in magazines etc. At least ArtIt are talking to a number of curators, hopefully collating a multitude of perspectves and voices on the issue.

Finally, my friend Jeremy Gilbert has just had his new book published called:
AntiCapitalism and Culture
Jem teaches at the University of East London, and has previously co-authored the great book Discographies, Dance Music, Culture and the Politics of Sound which I highly recommend.
Congratulations Jeremy!

That`s me in the photo above cooking chilli beans for forty people two weeks ago, just prior to AIT's Green Practice Project, where I was 'curator in charge' of the cafe.

Comments

[Masaki Komori]

Hi,

I'm Masaki who met you at AIT last week.
We're chatting about "Pika"'s isuues,aren't you?

I agree your comments on japanese subcultural magazines! currently I'm interested in their shift in the economical crisis. Anyway your perspective is a little ironical,isn't it? Will you also publish in the Japanese art world?(laugh)
I'm looking forward to your new book! Please let us know when the book is published at the weblog.

I have one question, I'm just curious.
What do you mean 'how we call art art'?
Does the latter 'art' means(or include)「アート」?
that is, particular circumstances in japan around art.
Sorry if the answer is in the book.