Wanted: supporters for Aida Makoto, Monument for Nothing
Aida Makoto: Heisei Kanjin Project
Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (53f)
6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-Ku
Tokyo, Japan
In conjunction with Aida Makoto’s solo exhibition, Aida Makoto: Monument for Nothing (Saturday, November 17, 2012–Sunday, March 31, 2013) the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo launches the “Aida Makoto: Heisei Kanjin Project,” in which individual supporters will be invited to join in producing the exhibition. This project will operate as a new mode of exhibition funding that involves raising funds also from individuals of the public, rather than financing solely through the conventional means of corporate sponsorship.
During the medieval period in Japan, the custom of kanjin, or the soliciting of contributions for pious purposes, became increasingly widespread as a means of raising funds for the construction or repair of Buddhist temples, Buddhist images, shrines, and so on. Today, nearly a thousand years later, as seen in the Arab Spring and the Occupy Movement in the U.S., for example, we are entering a new era where groups of like-minded individuals often connected via social media are bringing about changes in authoritarian regimes.
Aida Makoto is an artist who for some 20 years has been carefully observing the society in which he lives and exposing with a critical spirit and from a highly satirical point of view truths that are often hidden in our subconscious. However, due to the nature of his artwork, he is also an artist who, while rated highly, has been slow to receive public recognition internationally or in the form of large-scale solo exhibitions at museums. At the same time, he has over 10,000 followers on Twitter, indicating that his activities and attitude towards society have gained vociferous support. Aida Makoto, his first large-scale solo exhibition at an art museum, will present an overview of Aida’s creative output, including several new works, as well as closely analyzing its social and art historical context.
To coincide with this exhibition, the Mori Art Museum launches the “Aida Makoto: Heisei Kanjin Project,” in which people who endorse Aida’s artistic activities as individuals will be asked to make financial contributions to help cover the cost of producing the exhibition. This method of asking a group of like-minded individuals to provide the kind of exhibition sponsorship usually requested of corporations and so on is a new initiative in terms of art museum fundraising. And, one could say that Aida Makoto is one artist who is truly suited to the implementation of such an initiative.
Supporters / participants will share progress reports on Aida Makoto’s latest work, and join with the Museum to put the exhibition together. This includes taking part in special Aida Makoto: Monument for Nothing exhibition-related events. We urge exhibition-goers to consider going a step further and supporting a particular artist they would like to see succeed by participating in the “Aida Makoto: Heisei Kanjin Project.” In this way, we can all work together to ensure the exhibition is a roaring success.
Participate online now (details here)
