AWT
ACTIVATIONS
ART BASEL HONG KONG 2024
Art Week Tokyo is delighted to share three exciting activations taking place March 26–30 during Art Basel Hong Kong 2024. Extending our collaboration with Art Basel, Art Week Tokyo invites visitors to experience the stellar presentations by Art Week Tokyo galleries at the Hong Kong fair, join a blockbuster Conversations discussion, and come together at a special pop-up iteration of the AWT Bar.
AWT GALLERIES + CURATED TOUR
This year’s Art Basel Hong Kong will feature 20 Art Week Tokyo galleries with presentations across all sectors of the fair. To delve deeper into some of their programming, book the Tokyo Focus guided tour now (limited capacity).
TOKYO FOCUS
Embark on a special guided tour featuring Art Week Tokyo galleries participating in Art Basel Hong Kong. Curated by Kenjiro Hosaka, inaugural curator of AWT Focus in 2023, this route journeys through Japanese contemporary art as reflected by the emerging and established artists of some of the foremost galleries of Tokyo.
MARCH 26–27
Accessible with an Art Basel Hong Kong VIP Digital Card only
MARCH 28–30
Accessible with an Art Basel Hong Kong VIP Digital Card or a valid admission ticket only
Kenjiro Hosaka is Director of the Shiga Museum of Art, Otsu. He was formerly Curator at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, where he organized major exhibitions of figures ranging from painters Leiko Ikemura (2011) and Francis Bacon (2013) to avant-garde poet and multimedia artist Yoshimasu Gozo (2016) and architect Kengo Kuma (2021). His thematic surveys include “Where Is Architecture? Seven Installations by Japanese Architects” (2010) and “The Japanese House: Architecture and Life after 1945” (2017), both at MOMAT, as well as “Double Vision: Contemporary Art from Japan,” which toured from the Moscow Museum of Modern Art to the Haifa Museum of Art in 2012.
CONVERSATIONS:
TAKASHI MURAKAMI AND SHINRO OHTAKE
Join us for an intimate discussion with two of Japan’s foremost contemporary artists, as part of the Art Basel Hong Kong Conversations program.
TOKYO AS STUDIO
Japan’s shapeshifting capital city, which has always been a fertile ground for homegrown and international artistic movements, nurtures an exciting array of visual cultures. This talk brings together two of the most significant artists in recent Japanese contemporary art, Takashi Murakami and Shinro Ohtake, to discuss how Tokyo has inspired their practices.
Moderated by Andrew Maerkle, Editorial Director, Art Week Tokyo
This panel is free of charge and open to all. It will be conducted primarily in Japanese, with interpretation available in English and Mandarin.
About Takashi Murakami
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Takashi Murakami graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1993. In 2000, he proposed “Superflat,” a concept/theory of contemporary visual culture that connects traditional Japanese art with the flatness of anime and manga while also referring to the state of Japanese society. In 2005, “Little Boy,” the exhibition he curated at the Japan Society, New York, was awarded the Best Thematic Show by AICA-USA. In February 2024 he opened “Takashi Murakami Mononoke Kyoto,” his first solo exhibition in Japan in eight years, at Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art, where around 170 new works are on view.
About Shinro Ohtake
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Shinro Ohtake was born in Tokyo in 1955. His wide-ranging practice encompasses drawing, painting, collage, assemblage, moving image, multimedia installation, sound, architecture, and writing. The engine for his practice is his ongoing Scrapbooks project, begun in 1977, which now totals some 72 works. Ohtake has held monographic exhibitions at institutions including the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (2022); Contemporary Art Center, Art Tower Mito (2019); and Art Sonje Center, Seoul (2012). His work has featured in international exhibitions including the 55th Venice Biennale (2013); documenta 13, Kassel (2012); and the 1st Asia Pacific Triennial, Brisbane (1993). He is a recipient of this year’s 65th Mainichi Art Award.
AWT BAR IN HONG KONG
Drawing from concepts developed for past iterations, the AWT Bar comes to Hong Kong for a special pop-up edition during Art Basel. Hosted at Ronin from March 26 to 29, the AWT Bar in Hong Kong will feature: original cocktails conceived by artists as reflections of their own works and practices; displays of select artworks from AWT galleries; and a bespoke limited-time food menu designed in collaboration with Ronin—all accompanied by a rotation of artist-curated playlists inspired by Tokyo and its history.
ARTIST COCKTAILS
For a limited time only, Ronin will offer artist cocktails reimagining original drinks conceived for the AWT Bar during past iterations of Art Week Tokyo. The following cocktails by artists Rinko Kawauchi, Masato Kobayashi (ShugoArts), Yuichiro Tamura (Kotaro Nukaga), and Shinji Ohmaki are being reinterpreted for Hong Kong.
RINKO KAWAUCHI: M/E
A rock of ice is floating in a pale blue liquid in a round cocktail glass. The sight reminds me of a melting glacier I saw in Iceland. As I look down on the glass I start to feel as if I have become a giant, gazing at it from outer space. When I take a sip the subtle sweetness of fruit permeates my body along with the liquid. It brings back the sensation of being encompassed by the earth, which I had once felt inside a dormant volcano. As I chew on a slice of dried apple resembling the earth’s magnetic field, I reflect on the interconnections between this planet and me.
Dita Lychee Liqueur, Blue Curacao, grapefruit juice, apple chip garnish
Photographer Rinko Kawauchi was born in 1972 in Shiga Prefecture. She was awarded the prestigious 27th Kimura Ihei Award in 2002 for UTATANE and HANABI (both published by Little More, Tokyo). Other noteworthy publications include AILA (2005), the eyes, the ears (2005), Cui Cui (2005), Illuminance (2011, revised 2021), and Ametsuchi (2013). Kawauchi received the ICP 25th Annual Infinity Award, Art Category, in 2009, and the 63rd Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists from the Ministry of Education in 2013. Major solo exhibitions in Japan include “Cui Cui” at the Vangi Sculpture Garden Museum (Shizuoka Prefecture, 2008); “Illuminance, Ametsuchi, Seeing Shadow” at the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (2012); and “The river embraced me” at the Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto (2016). Recent publications include Des oiseaux, Illuminance: The Tenth Anniversary Edition, Yamanami, and Making Daidai Shoten (coauthored with Hisako Tajiri).
MASATO KOBAYASHI: LEMON COCKTAIL ON THIS PLANET
I make paintings on this planet with the paint of this planet, and that’s how I envision making a cocktail too. I have lemons and limes growing outside my studio overlooking the Seto Inland Sea! See what happens when you put a (triangular or square) piece of a painting in your mouth…
Gin, fresh Setouchi lemon juice, Canadou Carib, dried fruit garnish
Masato Kobayashi was born in Tokyo in 1957 and is currently based in Hiroshima. He was previously based in Ghent, Belgium, after being invited there by Jan Hoet in 1997. Kobayashi represented Japan at the 1996 Bienal de São Paulo. He has held solo exhibitions at institutions including the Sezon Museum of Modern Art, Nagano (2012); the Nariwa Museum, Okayama (2009); Tensta Konsthall, Spanga, Sweden (2004); SMAK, Ghent (2001); and the Miyagi Museum of Art, Sendai (2000).
Kobayashi is currently working on a trilogy of autobiographical novels. So far they include Ko no hoshi no e no gu: Hitotsubashi Daigaku no ki no shita de (Paint of this planet: Under the tree at Hitotsubashi University, 2018) and Ko no hoshi no e no gu: Dafuhasudori 52 (Paint of this planet: Duifhuisstraat 52, 2020).
Masato Kobayashi is represented by ShugoArts, Tokyo.
Shinji Ohmaki: Vacuum Fluctuation
An invisible, spectral wave unfolds in infinite space. Vacuum fluctuation was the first phenomenon at the creation of the universe. Space was born when a single point of light inflated so acutely that it overtook the darkness.
I want to give people a sense of the new worlds that form when light and dark slowly merge in space-like silence.
Blavod black vodka, Aphrodite Black, grapefruit juice, clear jelly
Shinji Ohmaki was born in Gifu in 1971. He makes immersive installations that explore the meaning of existence and embodied perceptions of space, time, and consciousness. Ohmaki has held solo exhibitions at institutions including the A4 Museum of Art, Chengdu (2023); the Hirosaki Museum of Contemporary Art (2023); the Kuandu Museum, Taipei (2020); the Hakone Open-Air Museum (2012); and Shiseido Gallery, Tokyo (2005). His work has also been featured in such major international exhibitions as the Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (2014), Asia Pacific Triennial in Brisbane (2009), and the Yokohama Triennale (2008). In recent years he has extended his practice to stage and performance projects at venues including the Aichi Prefectural Arts Theater (2023) and Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse (2019).
Yuichiro Tamura: N
Two parallel worlds that start with the letter N. The world on the surface is Titan, the sixth and largest moon of Saturn. It is the only satellite in the solar system other than Earth that has a dense atmosphere, which is primarily composed of nitrogen, whose chemical symbol is N. Titan, completely dry and filled with nitrogen, represents the ochre-colored world of N. On the other hand, N or “e-nu” as pronounced in Japanese, can be reversed to “nu-e,” which is also the name of an imaginary nocturnal monster mentioned in The Tale of the Heike. Assigned a single character written by combining the characters for “bird” and “night,” the monster with the face of a monkey, body of a raccoon, arms and legs of a tiger, and the tail of a snake supposedly terrorized the people of Kyoto, Japan’s ancient capital, night after night. The other blue-colored world is the underside of the world, which only appears after we fall asleep. When two opposing worlds meet, what will their taste be?
Gin, Pernod, Scarlet Velde, Canadou Carib, orange juice, water, blue coloring
Yuichiro Tamura was born in 1977 in Toyama Prefecture and currently lives and works in Kyoto. Often produced on commission, Tamura’s works are based on existing images and objects and take an interdisciplinary approach to mediums including photography, video, installation, performance, and theater. Tamura creates multilayered narratives containing a mixture of fact and fiction incorporating a wide range of sources, from indigenous historical themes to well-known popular subjects. He adds new interpretations and readings to original histories and memories, thereby transcending space and time and questioning what it means to be “contemporary.” In recent years he has also made works on museum collections.
Yuichiro Tamura is represented by Kotaro Nukaga, Tokyo.
ARTWORKS AT RONIN
For the duration of the pop-up AWT Bar, select works by Simon Fujiwara (Taro Nasu), Saori Miyake (Waitingroom), Daido Moriyama (Taka Ishii Gallery), and Kohei Nawa (SCAI The Bathhouse) will be on display.
For details on the artworks and artists, please contact their respective galleries.
ARTIST PLAYLISTS
Each night at the pop-up AWT Bar visitors can experience Tokyo through playlists selected by artists Ken Kagami (Misako & Rosen), Yuko Mohri (Yutaka Kikutake), Aki Sasamoto (Take Ninagawa), and Hajime Sorayama (Nanzuka).
Eat, drink, and listen as the tracks take you through various impressions of Tokyo from across different neighborhoods and eras.
KEN KAGAMI ABHK24
Ken Kagami was born in 1974 in Tokyo, where he continues to live and work. Selected solo exhibitions include “Modern Art” at Misako & Rosen in 2023 and “Retrospective” at Parco Museum Ikebukuro in 2018. Notable group presentations include “Trevor Shimizu and Ken Kagami: Masterpieces” at Anthony Greaney, Boston (2020); “Ken Kagami & Cobra: Romantic Comedy” at Misako & Rosen, Tokyo (2020); and “Good Grief, Charlie Brown! Celebrating Snoopy and the Enduring Power of Peanuts” at Embankment Galleries, Somerset House, London (2019). Kagami has also performed live improvisational drawing sessions at various art events, such as Art Basel Hong Kong (2024), Art Copenhagen (2016), and Frieze London (2015).
Ken Kagami is represented by Misako & Rosen.
Photo by Ken Kagami
MOHRI YUKO
Yuko Mohri was born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. She lives and works in Tokyo. In 2024, Mohri is representing Japan at the 60th Venice Biennale and will also hold solo shows at Aranya Art Center, Hebei, China, and Artizon Museum, Tokyo. In 2025, she has upcoming solo exhibitions at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in Seoul and Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan, among other venues. Recent solo shows include “I/O (In Oslo)” at Atelier Nord, Oslo (2021); “Parade (a Drip, a Drop, the End of the Tale)” at Japan House São Paulo (2021); and “Voluta” at Camden Arts Centre, London (2018). She has also participated in numerous international group exhibitions, including the 14th Gwangju Biennale (2023), the 23rd Biennale of Sydney (2022), the 34th Bienal de São Paulo (2021), Glasgow international 2021, the 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (2018), and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale 2016.
Yuko Mohri is represented by Yutaka Kikutake Gallery in Tokyo.
Courtesy Studio Yuko Mohri and Yutaka Kikutake Gallery
AKI__HONGKONG__24
Born in 1980 in Kanagawa Prefecture, Aki Sasamoto is a New York–based Japanese artist who works in performance, sculpture, dance, and video. Her videos often develop in tandem with her performance/installation pieces, in which improvisational performances combining spoken narrative and physical contortions unfold in a feedback loop with careful arrangements of sculpturally altered found objects and multimedia elements. Sasamoto’s institutional solo exhibitions include Para Site, Hong Kong (2024); the Queens Museum, New York (2023); the Kitchen, New York (2017); and SculptureCenter, New York (2016). She has participated widely in international exhibitions including the 59th Venice Biennale, the Aichi Triennale, the Busan Biennale, and the Okayama Art Summit (all 2022) as well as the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2016) and Yokohama Triennale (2008).
Aki Sasamoto is represented by Take Ninagawa.
Photo by Takehiro Iikawa. © Aki Sasamoto, courtesy Take Ninagawa, Tokyo.
SORAYAMA SELECT
Hajime Sorayama graduated from Chubi Central Art School in 1969. Since then, he has gained international acclaim for a creative practice that transcends the boundaries of genre and takes diverse forms, as in his signature body of work, Sexy Robot(1978–). Among Sorayama’s other notable projects are his concept design for Sony’s entertainment robot aibo (1999) and album art for rock band Aerosmith’s album Just Push Play (2001). In 2023, Sorayama’s Sexy Robot attracted worldwide attention when it appeared on the stage of The Weeknd’s “After Hours til Dawn” tour. Sorayama has also worked with various fashion brands, collaborating with designer Kim Jones on the Dior men’s collection in 2018 and a long-time friend Stella McCartney on the Stella McCartney + Hajime Sorayama collection in 2023. In recent years his works have also been presented widely at exhibitions across the world.
Hajime Sorayama is represented by Nanzuka.
© Hajime Sorayama, courtesy Nanzuka