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The Backers Foundation and AIT residence programme Vol.10
"Shaping Voices, Silent Skies"
New works by Miti Ruangkritya (Thailand) and Sarah Abu Abdallah (Saudi Arabia)

Saturday, July 1 - Monday (National Holiday), July 17, 2017
Hours: 11:00 - 20:00 *Free Admission / Open daily
8/ ART GALLERY/ Tomio Koyama Gallery (Shibuya Hikarie 8F, Tokyo)
Opening Reception: 18:00 - 20:00 on Saturday, July 1

Artist Talk: 14:00 - 16:00 on Saturday, July 8 at 8/ COURT
*Booking Required/Consecutive translation available
Click here for more details

The BAR Vol. 10「Shaping Voices, Silent Skies」Exhibition Flyer, Designed by Yasutaka Fukuoka
[Top] Sarah Abu Abdallah / Still from the study for new video work, 2017, Courtesy of the artist
[Bottom] Miti Ruangkritya / "Imagining Flood", 2011, Giclée print on archival paper, Courtesy of the artist

Exhibition flyer Download（PDF / 680KB)

The Backers Foundation and AIT will co-present "Shaping Voices, Silent Skies", an exhibition held from July 1 (Sat) to July 17 (Mon, National holiday) at 8/ ART GALLERY/ Tomio Koyama Gallery. This exhibition marks the 10th edition that the Backers Foundation and AIT have partnered on a joint residency programme that invites international artists to Tokyo, this year welcoming Miti Ruangkritya from Thailand, and Sarah Abu Abdallah from Saudi Arabia to present their works show for the first time in Japan, in addition to new works created during their stay in Tokyo.

Working mainly with photography and images from the Internet, Bangkok-based Miti Ruangkritya focuses on the environmental changes caused by rapid development that have occurred in urban areas of Thailand in recent years, in addition to the desires of city dwellers, and the tumult, silence and other shifting moods of the city itself.
In Imagining Flood (2011), one of the artist's representative works, Ruangkritya presents a disquieting night-time scene of Bangkok whose streets appear silent and deserted. Filmed on a day when the capital suffered damage from floods, it heightens the strangeness of the city and our fear of nature to an almost fantastical level.

In recent years Sarah Abu Abdallah, a young artist from Saudi Arabia who has gained attention in international exhibitions such as the Sharjah Biennale 11 (2013), has produced video works that incorporate thought processes particular to painting, a field in which she received training. In the video work SAUDI AUTOMOBILE (2012) the figure of Abu Abdallah, is filmed as she silently applies whitish-pink paint to an abandoned car. As reflected in the artist's comment, "This wishful gesture was the only way I could get myself a car," the work reveals the artist's focus of attention: the gender norms of a nation where women are prohibited to drive cars.

What the artist have in common is that, although they sense the illusions generated by globalized cities and societies, and the realities that lie behind them, their work expresses quiet criticism rather than conflict. While reflecting the social situation in which we find ourselves, their expressions reveal an attitude that consciously avoids integration into political and gender stereotypes.
In addition to works shown for the first time in Japan, in this exhibition Ruangkritya will superimpose images of urban development in Bangkok with those of Tokyo, and Shibuya in particular where development is visibly advancing, in order to suggest a hidden sense of anxiety toward environment pollution that such urbanization may cause, while Abu Abdallah has conceived dreamscapes inspired by Japanese anime and Manga.

We hope you will share in our anticipation to see how the artists respond to the city's whispers during their three-month residency.

Texts by Naoko Horiuchi [AIT] / Translated by Jaime Humphreys

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2017-5-29

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The Backers Foundation and AIT residence programme vol.9
"Healing and Loving"
New works by Chaw Ei Thein (Myanmar/Burma) and Krishnapriya Tharmakrishnar (Sri Lanka)
Saturday, July 9 through Saturday, July 23 at YAMAMOTO GENDAI (Shirokane-Takanawa, Tokyo)
Opening Reception: 6pm - 8pm on Saturday, July 9

Artist Talk: 7pm - 9pm on Wednesday, July 13 at Daikanyama AIT Room
*Booking Required (For details and to book, click here)

[Left] Chaw Ei Thein "What a wonderful world #6", 2015, Acrylic painting on camouflage fabric
[Right] Krishnapriya Tharmakrishnar "Artifacts from Jaffna", 2013, Nail Drawing on paper

Press release Download(PDF / 500KB)

Exhibition flyer Download(PDF / 1.6MB)

Artists interview Download(PDF / 2.5MB)

The exhibition marks the 9th time that The Backers Foundation and AIT have partnered on their joint residency programme and will present works by two women artists, Chaw Ei Thein from Myanmar/Burma and Krishnapriya Tharmakrishnar from Sri Lanka.

Chaw Ei Thein (born in Myanmar/Burma, 1969) has been a prominent artist working in Myanmar, also known as Burma for many years, creating paintings, sculptures and provocative public performances which comment on the situation of women's experiences in a situation of brutal oppression and dictatorship. Chaw Ei Thein is currently in exile in New York and was unable to return to her country until the recent democratic elections in Myanmar/Burma.

Krishnapriya Tharmakrishnar (born in Sri Lanka, 1987) is an emerging artist based in the Northern Sri Lankan city of Jaffna, which experienced fierce fighting during the civil war. The loss of family members and home forms a powerful ground for her works which largely take the form of paper based drawings and prints. She says: "Dots make Lines, Lines make Diagrams, Lines also show the direction of my life, my past, my dreams, my selection, my losses and gains".

Although both artists make works rooted in experiences and memories related to war, loss and insecurity it is also true to say that their artistic expressions are gestures for reconciliation and love for all people. They express powerful commitments to the experiences of women and mothers, engaging deeply with materials.

The BAR vol.9 exhibition, "Healing and Loving" will show a mix of older works with new works made in Tokyo including camouflage based paintings and painted found wood pieces by Chaw Ei Thein and almost invisible white nail drawings and new sculptural pieces by Krishnapriya Tharmakrishnar.

We look forward to your attendance at this special exhibition.

2016-6- 3

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The Backers Foundation and AIT residence programme vol. 7
"NEW WORKS BY ALBERT SAMRETH (USA) AND GOR SOUDAN (Kenya)"
Saturday, July 12 - Saturday, July 26 at YAMAMOTO GENDAI (Shirokane-Takanawa, Tokyo)
Opening Reception: 6pm - 8pm on Saturday, July 12

Left: "Continuity Drift" (2013). Natural pigment dyes /reference image. 　Right: Gor Soudan, Drawing in space (2014). Protest wire / reference image.

Press release Download（PDF / 889KB)

Exhibition flier Download（PDF / 5.4MB)

Artists interview Download（PDF / 2.3MB)
Interview by Ben Davis and Naoko Horiuchi



The exhibition will mark the 7th time that The Backers Foundation and AIT have partnered together, having previously hosted artists and curators from Africa, Asia, South America and the Middle East. As part of the joint residency programme, the exhibition will be accompanied by research, production and cultural exchange through educational sessions.

Albert Samreth (Born in 1987, Los Angeles, USA) is an emerging conceptual artist who has developed a studio practice based around engaging with natural and systematic processes. For this exhibition, Samreth will present a new series of paintings created by either the effects of Tokyo's heavy summer rainfall or made by the sunlight in a natural photographic process. The remainder of his work for the show will be derived from graphic scores related to his concurrent project for the International Moscow Biennale of Young Art, where he will be teaching songs to an African Grey Parrot.

Gor Soudan (Born in 1983, Kisumu, Kenya) is a self-taught conceptual artist based in Nairobi, Kenya. For this exhibition, Soudan will present pieces from his "Drawing in Space" series alongside linear drawings and an installation constructed in his Tokyo studio using a variety of locally-sourced, natural materials.

2014-6-20

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The Backers Foundation and AIT residence programme vol. 6
New works from Allegra Pacheco and Alberto Rodríguez Collía
Saturday, July 13 - Saturday, July 27, 2013 at YAMAMOTO GENDAI (Shirokane, Tokyo)

 
Left: Allegra Pacheco / Untitled / 2013 　Right: Alberto Rodríguez Collía / No lugar (Non place) / 2013

Press release (Japanese) Download（PDF / 893KB)

Artist interview : Download（PDF / 5.3MB)
Interviewed by Naoko Horiuchi(AIT)、Ben Davis

The Backers Foundation and Arts Initiative Tokyo are delighted to announce the 6th Backers and AIT Residence (BAR) programme exhibition, "Divided Against Ourselves " which will be held between July 13th and 27th at YAMAMOTO GENDAI. This year, emerging artists Allegra Pacheco (b.1986) and Alberto Rodríguez Collía (b.1985) will present works inspired by the experiences and discoveries of their three month residency in Tokyo, funded by the Backers Foundation.

Allegra Pacheco is a Costa Rican artist who works in a variety of mediums, with her work predominantly photographic, but often expanding into drawing and installation. In 2012, Pacheco exhibited her first installation work, 'Boobs', a series of breast-shaped soft sculptures made in collaboration with disenfranchised women from La Carpio, an immigrant neighborhood in Costa Rica. The exhibition space took on the innocence of a children's playground, but at the same time served as a platform whereby feminist issues and taboo subjects such as sexuality could be addressed in an un-biased environment. For this exhibition, Pacheco will produce an installation using both photography and illustration, and inspired by the architecture and density of Tokyo, where systems and rules unconsciously control the city's occupants and their lives. Her fantastical cityscapes are claustrophobic and lonely, where the post-apocalyptic undertones of a machine-ruled world invite the viewer to contemplate where our growth-focused lifestyles might lead our future generations.

In Japan for the first time, Guatemalan artist Alberto Rodríguez Collía uses archive's images (newspapers, television commercials, documentaries, video clips and the internet) to produce video works, drawings and collages. Collía presents images borrowed from mass media to criticize the unstable social and political situation in his country. For the 2008 project 'La Favorita', Collía gathered together with Erick Menchú, Guatemalan visual artist, images of folk sign designs from Guatemala, sharing the anonymous voices of the country. During his stay in Tokyo, he will produce engravings that combine semi-autobiographical situations from Guatemala and Tokyo, weaving together new stories.

The artists share certain similarities in that they use familiar motifs, presented at times in humorous ways, to portray the hidden and darker elements of our society. In recent years, as collectors increase, and the market expands, there is increasing interest in the South American art scene, but at the same time there is much to be learnt about creative expression and the socio-cultural situation.

Residency programs allow us to look through the artist's eyes, seeing not only the pleasant, but also the cultural differences and misunderstandings, in turn allowing us to view our society in a different manner.

Text: Naoko Horiuchi (AIT) Translation: Ben Davis

2013-7- 2

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The BAR vol.5 Exhibition "Rounds"
New works from Syagini Ratna Wulan and Duto Hardono

Syagini Ratna Wulan / "L.S." / 2010 / detail 　　　　　　 Duto Hardono / "Micro/Macro" / 2008

 

 

May 28(sat) - June 11 (sat), 2011 Sunday and Monday Closed *Admission free
hiromiyoshii roppongi　5-9-20, Roppongi Minato-ku, Tokyo　TEL: 03-5772-5233
Time: 13:00 - 19:00
Organized by: Arts Initiative Tokyo[AIT]
Co-organized by: The Backers Foundation
Supported by: hiromiyoshii roppongi, YOKUMOKU
Opening Reception: May 28(sat) 18:00 - 20:00 *19:00~ performance by the artists

 

 

　The Backers Foundation and Arts Initiative Tokyo are delighted to announce the 5th Backers and AIT Residence(BAR) programme exhibition, "The BAR vol. 5: Rounds" which will be held between May 28th and June 11th at hiromiyoshii roppongi. New works by two emerging Indonesian artists selected this year; Syagini Ratna Wulan(b.1979) and Duto Hardono(b.1985) will be shown. This 3 months artist in resident programme in Tokyo, is funded by the Backers foundation.

　The Tohoku-Kanto Earthquake in March held back many foreign artists from visiting Japan. News around the world continue to broadcast the countless aftershocks and the ongoing nuclear power plant issue, and yet, the two began their Tokyo residency since early April. Their determination to do so under such unpredictable conditions, is undoubtedly related to their bitter experience of the Sumatra earthquake. What we can also see here is their unfathomable motivation to "create" as artists.

　Syagini Ratna Wulan uses furniture and everyday utensils to create art in a variety of different media including painting and installation. In her 2010 one-person exhibition 'Love Affair pt. 1: Dining Room/ White Lies', she created a series of tables and chairs made from dripping white paints and ceramics and showed these together with a portraits of human skull. Like our bones which are normally hidden from view by our flesh, the exhibition explored the normally hidden, other sides of romantic love such as deceit and perversion. For this exhibition Ratna Wulan has made new works looking into issues of dream and reality, using old furniture, cushions and typewriters that she found during her residency in Tokyo. Her work will be shown as a series of photographs, drawings and installation. Ratna Wulan has referred to the French thinker Voltaire in explaining her works, quoting him thus: "History is nothing but a pack of tricks that we play upon the dead". By inserting the trickery of art into old, used historical objects, Ratna Wulan intends to reconfigure these things again as an artist-trickster.

　Duto Hardono works mainly in sound, performance, drawing and collage. His works specifically utilize the subtle and sometimes distressing tensions which emerge from using found or readymade objects such as old cassette tapes, records, and instruments. In his work 'How To Perform John Cage's 4'33″ On A Tape Loop Delay As Demonstrated By A Band Of Cacti,' Hardono referred to the seminal sound work by John Cage '4'33″' (1952) in order to create a surreal installation comprising three cactus plants which mutely 'played' Cage's score to viewers via a home-made delay mechanical system using a pair of looping cassette tape. According to Hardono, the 'ridiculous concept' of the work is about "delaying silence." For this exhibition Hardono has used cassette tapes to transmit his recordings of the city of Tokyo randomly, also showing various collage works made up from items he picked up during the residency. Hardono will perform at the opening using a vintage synthesizer, which he recently found in Tokyo.

　Ratna Wulan and Hardono have spent the past two months in Tokyo, coming across unfamiliar objects and situations, giving them new meanings and possibilities by dissolving their histories and adding new dimensions to them, going round and round. The Indonesian art scene is today a vibrant and well known one, deeply connected to the uniquely hybrid geographical, historical, religious and philosophical of the country. We can say that Ratna Wulan and Hardono are representative of a younger generation of Indonesian artists who are just as comfortable working within their local contexts as within broader global ones.

Text by : Naoko Horiuchi [AIT]
Translated by: Roger McDonald [AIT], Kaori Iwasaki [AIT]

 

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< Artists >
　・Syagini Ratnawulan (Born in Bandung, 1979, lives and works in Bandung, Indonesia)
　・Duto Hardono (Born in Jakarta, 1985, lives and works in Bandung, Indonesia)

* Backers Foundation and AIT: Curator In Residence Agung Hujatnika（Curator, Selasar Sunaryo Art Space, Indonesia） will stay in Tokyo for 3 weeks from June 3rd.

 

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Since 2007, the Backers Foundation, a private group of patrons from the business worlds, has supported eight emerging contemporary artists and four curators to visit Tokyo and stay for a 3 month residency. In 2012, a group exhibition of the 10 previous residency artists will be held. The non-profit organization AIT works with the Backers Foundation to organize and host the program.

2011-5-17

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  Ernesto Salmeron ’10 Minute Museum’, AIT Room, February 9 2008. Performance lecture in Spanish and Text reading. Edition poster given away free.

2008-2- 9

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Riiko Sakkinen (Finland) ‘Radioactive Sushi for Traitors’ and Super Lottery session, January 29 2007. AIT Room exhibition of framed drawings made in Tokyo.

2007-1-27

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‘Publicly Speaking’, Tokyo Wondersite, Japan-Korea Friendship Year residency collaboration with Ssamzie Art Space Seoul, Young-In Hong, Yang-ah Ham, Kyongju Park, Kazz Sasaguchi, Taiki Tamamura, Hiroharu Mori, August 19 – September 11, 2005.

2005-8-19

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