JAM: TOKYO/LONDON

HAPPENINGText: Satoshi Ota

It was the beginning of February when “JAM: Tokyo/London” exhibition has started. I had been really in hustle and bustle days and could not find a chance to visit this. However, I finally could make it in last week. This exhibition had been held at Barbican Art Gallery in London from May to July in last year. It introduced creators who work in various genres, such as the street culture scene, fashion, graphics, music, photography and art in London and Tokyo.

Moreover, not only the creators who participated in the one in London, but also Shynola, David Shrigley who collaborates with Nara Yoshitomo, and a street brand from London Fake London have joined in this exhibition. The power-upped exhibition with 43 creators is worth to visit! Above all, the interior decoration photos of Love Hotel by Kyoichi Tsuzuki are pretty enjoyable to look. Those photos show many type of rooms, which image a room in a love hotel, with turning beds. They remind me of some memories and I felt the embarrassing atmosphere from them, but they are funny. Please do not miss the boards about the history and features of a love hotel that can be found in the entrance. You will notice good points of “the special Japanese culture”

Hussein Chalayan presents “the buried dresses series” that was shown in Autumn/Winter Collection 2000. James Jarvis, who is known with Nigo/A Bathing Ape and the collaboration with a popular brand “Silas”, presents figures. Groovision presents a virtual star “Chappie“.

The space direction by Klein Dytham Architecture works very well. Shopping bags of department stores or shops, which look familiar with, are used in the installed space and it makes you feel as if you were walked down streets in London and Tokyo.

An illustrator and an art editor for “The Face.” Graham Rounthwaite gets inspirations from the most interesting area in London and people’s fashion in East End and uses them into his works. A design unit of Mr Shin Azumi and Mrs Tomoko Azumi. They created the installation design for the exhibition in London. The orange coloured wire-frame bench and the stool series have been displayed at the exhibition in Tokyo.

JAM: Tokyo/London
Date: February 8th – May 5th, 2002
Place: Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery
Address: 3-20-2 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
Tel: +81 (0)3 5353 0756
http://www.onlinejam.co.uk

Text: Satoshi Ota
Translation: Sachiko Kurashina
Photos: Satoshi Ota

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