[59 Images] "Theaster Gates: Afro-Mingei" (Mori Art Museum)
Theaster Gates is a Black artist with a diverse background spanning ceramics, religion, urban planning, and more. Regarding ceramics in particular, he studied abroad for a year in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, and continues to maintain ties there today. Meanwhile, in his TED presentation video, he is shown regenerating abandoned houses (perhaps from the Lehman Shock?) into hubs for local communities, demonstrating the incredibly multifaceted nature of his activities.
The exhibition is also more comprehensive than just ceramics, featuring paintings using waste materials, readymades, performances, and a vast collection of books. In the first exhibition hall in particular, works using incense wood and a Hammond organ are displayed, filling the venue with the scent of incense and the sound of a low E-flat. As a viewer, I felt that I was being asked to appreciate the art with my whole body—eyes, ears, and nose.
There are countless works I want you to see, but personally, I really want you to watch the video works in the middle of the exhibition: "The Days of the Refuge and the Martyr are Long Gone" and "Oh, Wind." The former features a musical performance by Gates' band, The Black Monks, held in an abandoned church just before it was demolished, while the latter is a solo vocal performance, also held in what appears to be an abandoned building. The former, in particular, uses a somewhat unusual performance method involving singing, a double bass, and rhythm created by lifting and dropping a broken door.
The door moves around like a dance, sometimes lifted high, sometimes in small increments, falling while kicking up dust, accompanied by the double bass and vocals... Even though I was listening with my ears and watching with my eyes, the impact felt like it was shaking the "earth" and the soles of my shoes. What a powerful performance. The same goes for the other solo vocal piece.
The total time is 26 minutes, and while some people seemed to pass by impatiently, if you visit, these were definitely video works I would like you to watch.
The depth of art, the fun of entertainment, the solemnity of a "ritual" honoring history, the power that appeals not internally but to the viewer... I think it is a wonderful exhibition where various kinds of enjoyment in viewing an art exhibition are beautifully fused into one. The power word "Afro-Mingei," which is also the title of the exhibition, is very impressive (lol), but I didn't think his approach could be simply summarized as "Black culture + Mingei." What is there is a top-class art exhibition by an active, world-class artist that far exceeds such flimsy categorization.
Personally, I was hesitant about what to see as I was just before being hospitalized (I was hospitalized a few days after seeing this), but I am definitely glad I chose this exhibition. Also, I didn't have the energy to write my thoughts while preparing for hospitalization, and my recovery from surgery took longer than expected, but I managed to write this before my memories became too fuzzy.
Jolly (1937-2012) was a ceramicist friend of Gates. Incidentally, the Black Soul and experimental jazz records displayed inside "The Listening House," which was built using the former Maruri Pottery residence for the Aichi Triennale 2022, were gifted by Jolly.
Collecting, preserving, and managing Black cultural spaces and related items. When places that played important roles in the local community, such as the aforementioned Jolly's belongings, researchers' estates, churches, publishers, and record shops, closed down, Gates preserved and archived the items left behind.
A minimalist work using waste fire hoses. It cites the historical fact that during the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, police suppressed peaceful demonstrators with high-pressure hoses.
A painting using the floor of an elementary school gymnasium. It suggests a criticism of the disappearance of "playgrounds" for children. Writing this with the help of the caption, I thought that Gates' art is a message about "loss," and at times gives the impression of sending a counter-punch.
One of the "Tar Painting" series. He learned from his father, who was a roofer who applied tar to roofs, and currently produces them using industrial torch-down, which is used as a substitute for tar.
This is a collection by Koide, a ceramic artist from Tokoname City, with production dates spanning from his birth year to his death year.
The volume of 20,000 items is overwhelming!
Pentecostal refers to a group of Protestant churches known as the Pentecostal movement.
Does Shinto refer to the Japanese religion?
Left -> Otis Redding "The Great OTIS REDDING Sings Soul Ballads"
Right -> The Stylistics "ROUND 2"
Both are sound sources available on subscription services and similar platforms.
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