This is Yukihiro Taguchi’s first one-man show in Japan in five years. In his statement about the exhibition, Taguchi explains that the title is a proverb that a local artist in the Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya, told him when he stayed and worked there in 2013. This also connects to the general ideas and practices that inform Taguchi’s projects, such as the sharing of possibilities and added value generated as a result of communication and collaboration.
The exhibition includes a looped screening of video works derived from Discuvry (2013-2014), a project that involved commune-like activities in which Taguchi and local hippies squatted and built a log house on a vacant lot in Berlin (during which time Taguchi also went to Kenya), as well as plan drawings for his latest project, Spun Dragon, which will be unveiled at the Centre for Heritage Arts & Textile (CHAT) in Hong Kong this July, along with the workshop Let’s Weave! that will be held as a kick-off event.
Yukihiro Taguchi “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”, installation view, 2018 Photo: Kenji Morita
© Yukihiro Taguchi, Courtesy of the artist and MUJIN-TO Production
Yukihiro Taguchi has been creating site-specific works using local items and icons at the various places he visits, in collaboration with the respective region’s local people. Compared to his previous efforts, the recent works that are showcased at this exhibition reflect an even deeper insight into regional contexts. Suggesting the cycles and relays of economic activities, ecosystems and traditions/folklore that define contemporary society/civilization, these works highlight the profound influence that the experiences in Kenya and Berlin had on Taguchi’s position and perception as an artist. As a result, the works succeed in renewing our awareness of how these things are related to our daily activities.
Yukihiro Taguchi, MADE IN KENYA, 2012-13
© Yukihiro Taguchi, Courtesy of the artist and MUJIN-TO Production
Yukihiro Taguchi “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”, installation view, 2018 Photo: Kenji Morita
© Yukihiro Taguchi, Courtesy of the artist and MUJIN-TO Production
In Spun Dragon, a work made for the exhibition at CHAT, Taguchi creates one of those “dragons” that are worshipped in various parts of Hong Kong (comparable to the Japanese portable shrines known as omikoshi), as there is no such dragon yet in the immediate neighborhood of CHAT. The artist himself refers to his works as “performative installations,” and accordingly, in this project aimed to produce a new local heritage through collaboration with local residents, it is the very act of co-operative production that works as Taguchi’s installation, and that will be shared and succeeded – together with the completed dragon – as part of the daily life of the local community and participants.
Yukihiro Taguchi, Spun Dragon (final plan), 2016, Photo: Kenji Morita
©Yukihiro Taguchi, Courtesy of the artist and MUJIN-TO Production
In a Tokyo that is suffocated by an extremely chaotic mixture of politics, economics, culture and history, I am certainly not the only one who has high expectations toward Taguchi’s new works that reflect his commitment to the city. Taguchi’s activities remind us of things and induce actions, which is exactly what we need today. While this time’s exhibition is mainly a showcase of previous projects in abroad, I’m very much looking forward to future shows in which Taguchi will unveil his Tokyo themed new projects.
Translated by Andreas Stuhlmann
