Yoshitomo Nara + Graf
dal 13/6/2008 al 25/10/2008
Segnalato da
13/6/2008
Yoshitomo Nara + Graf
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead
Influenced by popular culture from punk music, rock'n' roll and Manga to the American cartoons of his childhood, he explores the tensions of a hyper consumer culture. At Baltic Nara continues his ongoing collaboration with creative design unit graf: the A-Z Project which began in 2003. It explores the relationship between the individual, the space they inhabit and objects within their surroundings.
For the first time in a UK public gallery Japanese artist Yoshitomo Nara and creative
design team graf present the latest installation in the ongoing A to Z Project at BALTIC
Centre for Contemporary Art. The exhibition can be seen from Saturday 14 June to
Sunday 26 October 2008.
Yoshitomo Nara’s work embodies a defiant spirit that comes with youthful optimism and
belief that we can change the world. He is best known for his deceptively simple
drawings, paintings and sculptures of children with apparently innocent, kawaii or cute
expressions. Kristin Chambers explains further in Yoshitomo Nara: Nothing Ever
Changes ‘Their direct gazes and impish grins suggest that although they’re young and
darling, these kids sense what the world has in store for them’. Influenced by popular
culture from punk music, rock ‘n’ roll and Manga to the American cartoons of his
childhood, Nara explores the tensions of a hyper consumer culture.
At BALTIC, Nara continues his ongoing collaboration with creative design unit graf: the
A-Z Project which began in 2003. The project explores the relationship between the
individual, the space they inhabit and objects within their surroundings. It aims to revive
the idea of narrative, the relationship between the work and its environment, art and life.
For each phase of the project, the team create a new wooden structure or ‘house’ that
responds to the particular environment of the exhibition space. Ultimately the project
will accumulate more than 26 houses over the course of 26 exhibitions. Together the
houses create an imaginary town with each street named after a letter ‘A’ to ‘Z’.
For the next stage of their project, Nara and graf will construct three cross-shaped
‘houses’ at BALTIC. Two of these are reconstructions from earlier stages; the third
house is specially designed for the exhibition and built using local reclaimed materials.
Nara + graf’s recent exhibitions include Torre de Malaga, Malaga, GEM Hague, Galerie
Zink Berlin, A to Z Hiosaki, Welcome to Soi Sabai Bangkok, Stephen Friedman Gallery
London, Yokohama Triennale 2005 and Home graf media gm, Osaka.
In 2007, in celebration of the gallery’s 5th birthday and the opening of a new £500,000
learning facility BALTIC commissioned Nara to produce a new series of site specific
large scaled drawings in vinyl which have been on show to the public since July 2007.
Building for the A to Z Project is due to commence early May 08 and will be on view
from the Level 5 viewing platform.
The exhibition is supported by The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, The Daiwa
Anglo-Japanese Foundation, The Japan Foundation, Japan 150 and Faulkner Browns
For further information please contact:
Ann Cooper, Media Officer T: 0191 440 4915 E: annc@balticmill.com
BALTIC is a major international centre for contemporary art situated on the south bank
of the River Tyne in Gateshead, England. BALTIC presents a constantly changing,
distinctive and ambitious programme of exhibitions and events, and is a world leader in
the presentation, commissioning and communication of contemporary visual art. BALTIC
has welcomed over 2.7 million visitors, since opening to the public in July 2002.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art
Gateshead Quays
South Shore Road Gateshead NE8 3BA UK
Opening hours:
Monday - Sunday 10.00 - 18.00 (excluding Tuesday)
Tuesday 10.30 – 18.00
admission free