Saeborg and Tsuda Michiko win Tokyo Contemporary Art Award for provocative performances

The Tokyo Contemporary Art Award, created in 2018 by Tokyo Arts and Space to recognize mid-career artists, has honored Saeborg and Tsuda Michiko. Each artist will receive ¥3,000,000 (£19,200), a travel grant of up to ¥2,000,000, and a chance to exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. Saeborg, born in 1981, uses cartoonish latex animal costumes in her performances to explore the dynamics between humans and animals, with the jury noting the significance of her work during the pandemic. Notably, at the 2019 Dark MOFO festival in Tasmania, she donned an oversized pig costume within a metal cage. Tsuda Michiko, a new media artist, investigates gender and mediation, recently analyzing body language from films by Ozu Yasujiro in a lecture performance.