WAITINGROOM is pleased to present “Cut Pieces,” a solo presentation of works by Fuyuhiko Takata（高田冬彦）, a Tokyo-based artist born in 1987 in Hiroshima, Japan, in the Discoveries Sector (Booth 1C43) at Art Basel Hong Kong 2024.
Evocative of myths, legends, fairy tales, and other fantasy worlds, Takata creates vibrantly rich narratives through his self-produced cinematic pieces. Deceptively simple and often profoundly humorous, he meticulously crafts each vignette, often transforming his tiny apartment into elaborate homemade film sets while sculpting his own intricate and colorful props, which are themselves works of art. Directing, filming, narrating, and even acting in his videos, he is a visual storyteller whose elaborate visions playfully interrogate social questions around power, nation, gender, and sexuality. Resonating with subtle and often poetic critique, these works are theatrical, poignant glimpses into alternate universes that challenge our understandings of contemporary society in Japan and worldwide.
“Cut Suits” 2023 installation view
Art Basel Hong Kong 2024
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Venue: Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (Hong Kong)
VIP Days (by invitation only):
First Choice | Tuesday, March 26, 12 noon to 4pm
First Choice and Preview | Tuesday, March 26, 4pm to 8pm
First Choice and Preview | Wednesday, March 27, 12 noon to 4pm
First Choice and Preview | Thursday, March 28, 12 noon to 2pm
First Choice and Preview | Friday, March 29, 12 noon to 2pm
First Choice and Preview | Saturday, March 30, 11am to 1pm
Vernissage
Wednesday, March 27, 4pm to 8pm
Public Days
Thursday, March 28, 2pm to 8pm
Friday, March 29, 2pm to 8pm
Saturday, March 30, 1pm to 7pm
More Info: https://www.artbasel.com/hong-kong
Booth No.: #1C43
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About the artist, Fuyuhiko Takata
Born in 1987 in Hiroshima, currently lives and works in Chiba. He completed the doctoral course in oil painting at the Tokyo University of the Arts in 2017. His recent exhibitions include a Solo exhibition “Cut Pieces” (2023, WAITINGROOM), a Group exhibition “Fairy Tales” (2023, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane), a Group exhibition “Storymakers in Contemporary Japanese Art” (2022, The Japan Foundation Sydney, Sydney), a solo exhibition “LOVE PHANTOM 2” (2021, WAITINGROOM, Tokyo), a Group exhibition “When It Waxes and Wanes” (2020, VBKÖ, Vienna), a solo exhibition “MAM Screen011: Fuyuhiko Takata” (2019, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo), solo exhibition “Dream Catcher” (2018, Alternative Space CORE, Hiroshima), a group exhibition “MOT Annual 2016 Loose Lips Save Ships” (2016, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo), and many others.
About Exhibition Works
“Cut Pieces” for Art Basel Hong Kong 2024, is an installation and video exhibition that highlights two of Takata’s most recent companion works, The Butterfly Dream (2022) and a latest video titled Cut Suits (2023). The first is a piece in which the artist poetically alludes to “Dream of the Butterfly,” an episode from the Chinese classic Zhuangzi, in which the protagonist dreams he has metamorphosed into a butterfly. Nodding to the landmark work of Yoko Ono, Takata conjures up a fantastical scene in which a hybrid butterfly-scissors chimera flaps its wings as it slices away the clothing of a sleeping young man, raising profound philosophical questions around not only the dialectical relationship of power to pleasure but also the rigid inhibitions surrounding masculinity itself. Cut Suits, meanwhile, is a sequel that further develops this deconstruction by literally excising the superficial trappings of institutionalized male power. In this work, six men clad in business attire delight in snipping away with scissors at each other’s suits, shirts, and ties, while cheerful music plays enchantingly in the background. This nonviolent and even whimsical ritual hints at liberatory themes of shedding, hatching, and unleashing that so prominently recur throughout Takata’s opus. As a monument to the messiness and difficulty entailed in unraveling the patriarchy, these scrapped and tattered garments sheared from the bodies of the film’s characters will be heaped in front of the screen, a gravesite of molted manhood. Nearby this pile of detritus, the booth will also feature the butterfly scissors sculpture that appears in the first film.
Referencing both Duchamp’s famous “Cemetery of Uniforms and Liveries” motif, which represents the symbolization and stereotyping of masculinity and femininity, Takata also alludes to the practice of minimalist sculptor Robert Morris, who littered his exhibition sites with shredded fabric. The artist thus brings Western art into conversation with his identity as a Japanese contemporary artist by fetishizing the figure of the “salaryman,” the icon of corporate masculinity in Japan, so often imagined packed into rush-hour trains like sushi. Teasingly cutting away at the threads that shackle these souls to destinies of heteronormativity and capitalist machismo, he humanizes them and rescues their innocent joy enshrouded just beneath the surface.
“Cut Suits” 2023 (video still)
“The Butterfly Dream” 2022 (video still)
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WAITINGROOM將於2024年香港巴塞爾藝術展的”藝術探新”展區 （展位1C43）隆重推出1987年出生於日本廣島的東京藝術家高田冬彥（Fuyuhiko Takata）的單獨展示 “Cut Pieces”。
高田通過自制的影視作品，喚起人們對神話、傳說、童話和其他奇幻世界的想象，創作出生動豐富的敘事。他的作品看似簡單，卻往往蘊含著深層的幽默感，他精心創作每一個小故事，經常把自己的小公寓打造成精緻的自製影視布景，同時雕刻細膩而多彩的道具，這些道具本身就是藝術品。他在自己的影視中擔任導演、拍攝、解說甚至表演等多重身份，他是一個視覺故事講述者，其精心制作的視覺作品嬉戲地拷問著有關權力、國家、性別和性的社會問題。這些作品具有微妙的共鳴，並帶有詩意的批判。是對另一個世界的戲劇性、淒美的一瞥，挑戰著我們對日本乃至世界當代社會的理解。
爲2024年香港巴塞爾藝術展而設的”Cut Pieces”是一個裝置及影視展覽，重點展出高田的兩件最新作品：《The Butterfly Dream》（2022年）及最新影視作品《Cut Suits》（2023年）。在第一件作品中，藝術家詩意地引用了中國古典名著《莊子》中的情節 “蝴蝶夢”，其中主人公夢見自己蛻變成蝴蝶。 這是高田向小野洋子（Yoko Ono）的里程碑式作品致敬。他幻想出一個奇幻的場景：一只蝴蝶和剪刀的混合體搧動著翅膀，剪開了一個熟睡的年輕人的衣服，不僅提出了關於權力與快感的辯證關係的深刻哲學問題，還提出了關於男性氣質本身的僵化禁忌的問題。而，《Cut Suits》是《The Butterfly Dream》的續集，它進一步發展了這種結構，從字面上剝去了制度化男權的蒙面裝飾。在這部作品中，六名商務裝束的男子在歡快的背景音樂中互相用剪刀剪掉對方的西裝、襯衫和領帶。這種非暴力的、甚至是異想天開的儀式暗示了高田作品中反複出現的解放主題，即捨棄、孵化和釋放。影片中從男子身上互相剪下的殘破衣服將會堆放在銀幕前，化作成拆解父權體制千絲萬縷又困難的見證，亦成爲男人蛻變的墓地。在這堆殘骸旁邊，展台還將展示第一部影視中出現的蝴蝶剪刀雕塑。
高田參考了杜尚著名的”制服和制服墓地”中的意象，代表了男性及女性的象徵和刻板印象。他還暗示了極簡主義雕塑家羅伯特・莫裏斯的做法，莫裏斯在他的展覽現場堆滿了碎布。高田藉此將西方藝術與他作爲日本當代藝術家的身份結合起來，將”工薪族”這一日本企業男子氣概的代表形象加以迷信化，人們常常想象他們像壽司一樣擠在繁忙時段的電車上。他挑逗性地切斷了束縛在異性戀和資本主義大男子主義命運中的靈魂絲線並將他們人性化，從而拯救了他們隱藏在表面之下原本的天真快樂。
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WAITINGROOM将于2024年香港巴塞尔艺术展的”艺术探新”展区（展位1C43）隆重推出1987年出生于日本广岛的东京艺术家高田冬彦（Fuyuhiko Takata）的单独展示 “Cut Pieces”。
高田通过自制的影视作品，唤起人们对神话、传说、童话和其他奇幻世界的想象，创作出生动丰富的叙事。他的作品看似简单，却往往蕴含着深层的幽默感，他精心创作每一个小故事，经常把自己的小公寓打造成精致的自制影视布景，同时雕刻细腻而多彩的道具，这些道具本身就是艺术品。他在自己的影视中担任导演、拍摄、解说甚至表演等多重身份，他是一个视觉故事讲述者，其精心制作的视觉作品嬉戏地拷问着有关权力、国家、性别和性的社会问题。这些作品具有微妙的共鸣，并带有诗意的批判。是对另一个世界的戏剧性、凄美的一瞥，挑战着我们对日本乃至世界当代社会的理解。
为2024年香港巴塞尔艺术展而设的”Cut Pieces”是一个装置及影视展览，重点展出高田的两件最新作品：《The Butterfly Dream》（2022年）及最新影视作品《Cut Suits》（2023年）。在第一件作品中，艺术家诗意地引用了中国古典名著《庄子》中的情节 “蝴蝶梦”，其中主人公梦见自己蜕变成蝴蝶。 这是高田向小野洋子（Yoko Ono）的里程碑式作品致敬。他幻想出一个奇幻的场景：一只蝴蝶和剪刀的混合体扇动着翅膀，剪开了一个熟睡的年轻人的衣服，不仅提出了关于权力与快感的辩证关系的深刻哲学问题，还提出了关于男性气质本身的僵化禁忌的问题。而，《Cut Suits》是《The Butterfly Dream》的续集，它进一步发展了这种结构，从字面上剥去了制度化男权的蒙面装饰。在这部作品中，六名商务装束的男子在欢快的背景音乐中互相用剪刀剪掉对方的西装、衬衫和领带。这种非暴力的、甚至是异想天开的仪式暗示了高田作品中反复出现的解放主题，即舍弃、孵化和释放。影片中从男子身上互相剪下的残破衣服将会堆放在银幕前，化作成拆解父权体制千丝万缕又困难的见证，亦成为男人蜕变的墓地。在这堆残骸旁边，展台还将展示第一部影视中出现的蝴蝶剪刀雕塑。
高田参考了杜尚著名的”制服和制服墓地”中的意象，代表了男性及女性的象征和刻板印象。他还暗示了极简主义雕塑家罗伯特・莫里斯的做法，莫里斯在他的展览现场堆满了碎布。高田借此将西方艺术与他作为日本当代艺术家的身份结合起来，将”工薪族”这一日本企业男子气概的代表形象加以迷信化，人们常常想象他们像寿司一样挤在繁忙时段的电车上。他挑逗性地切断了束缚在异性恋和资本主义大男子主义命运中的灵魂丝线并将他们人性化，从而拯救了他们隐藏在表面之下原本的天真快乐。
