AIDA Makoto “Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.”（TOKYO）
6 July - 20 August 2016
* Summer holiday: 7th – 15th August
Mizuma Art Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of AIDA Makoto’s solo exhibition “Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.” on Wednesday 6th July.
For this exhibition, at the milestone age of 50 years, Aida takes up the challenge of a completely new set of techniques, forms and materials that he has never before attempted. The show overturns the very foundations of the image heretofore of artist “Aida Makoto”, and thus he declares, “It doesn’t concern me if this causes people who have chosen to be my fans until now, and people who have not, to completely switch places.”
For this reason, the prior publication of any images of the new work is prohibited, and the visuals of the entire exhibition will be kept in secrecy until the opening day itself.
Aida aims, this time, for a ‘pure beauty’ with regards to painting. Over 30 works are predicted to be shown: the largest quantity of any of Aida’s solo gallery shows to date.
The artist remarks: “This is the first, and perhaps the last, time in my life I shall produce such a ‘painting exhibition’-esque exhibition,” and further, that “having deeply considered the nature of my relation to such international artists as Gerhard Richter, Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst, this is my conclusion.” The content of the work is sure to bring satisfaction to all contemporary art collectors of a global mindset. Especially to those unfamiliar with Aida’s work to date – or indeed, with Mizuma Art Gallery – we warmly invite you to view this exhibition.
The exhibition’s title “Let us dream of evanescence, and linger in the beautiful foolishness of things.” is taken from the end of the first chapter of Okakura Tenshin’s Cha no Hon (The Book of Tea) . The exhibition is charged with the notion that surely, in these troubled times more than ever, we must pause and reconsider the idea of a ‘pure beauty’.
We would further ask for your kind inference that the visuals used for the exhibition invitation and other press materials shall be entirely and absolutely divergent from the artworks’ content.
