Shigeo Anzaï's Photographs of the 10th Tokyo Biennale at White Rainbow
In an essay by Ambra Gattiglia, the work of photographer Shigeo Anzaï is explored, specifically his coverage of the 10th Tokyo Biennale, 'Between Man and Matter', which debuted in May 1970 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum before moving to Kyoto, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. Curated by Yusuke Nakahara, this biennial eliminated awards and national representations, featuring 40 artists from Japan, Europe, and North America, including those linked to post-Minimalism, Arte Povera, Conceptualism, and Mono-ha. Anzaï, a budding photographer at the time, assisted Carl Andre, Daniel Buren, and Richard Serra during setup, documenting works by Christo, Hans Haacke, Sol LeWitt, and Jirō Takamatsu. His photographs were showcased at White Rainbow gallery in London (2015-2016) and serve as a unique record of transient art. The essay highlights Nakahara's inspiration from 'When Attitudes Become Form' and 'Op Losse Schroeven', noting the biennial's goal of promoting global dialogue. Although the event received a lukewarm response in 1970, it has since been acknowledged, with recent archival initiatives at Keio University and Tate Modern.
Key facts
- 10th Tokyo Biennale 'Between Man and Matter' opened May 1970 at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
- Yusuke Nakahara was General Commissioner; abolished prizes and national representations.
- 40 artists from Japan, Europe, and North America participated.
- Shigeo Anzaï photographed the biennial while working as an assistant to Andre, Buren, and Serra.
- Exhibition at White Rainbow, London, ran 25 Nov 2015–23 Jan 2016.
- Anzaï's photographs document ephemeral and site-specific works by Christo, Haacke, LeWitt, and others.
- Nakahara cited 'When Attitudes Become Form' and 'Op Losse Schroeven' as influences.
- Biennial traveled to Kyoto, Nagoya, and Fukuoka after Tokyo.
Entities
Artists
- Shigeo Anzaï
- Carl Andre
- Daniel Buren
- Richard Serra
- Christo
- Hans Haacke
- Sol LeWitt
- Jirō Takamatsu
- Yusuke Nakahara
- Ambra Gattiglia
- Edward Ball
- Lee Ufan
- Jannis Kounellis
- Kōji Enokura
- Susumu Koshimizu
- Katsuhiko Narita
- Jirō Yoshihara
- Mario Merz
- Bruce Nauman
- Giuseppe Penone
- Gilberto Zorio
- Marinus Boezem
- Jan Dibbets
- Ger van Elk
- Barry Flanagan
- Stephen J. Kaltenbach
- On Kawara
- Stanislav Kolíbal
- Edward Krasiński
- Roelof Louw
- Yutaka Matsuzawa
- Hitoshi Nomura
- Panamarenko
- Markus Raetz
- Klaus Rinke
- Reiner Ruthenbeck
- Jean-Frédéric Schnyder
- Keith Sonnier
- Shintaro Tanaka
- Michio Horikawa
- Kenji Inumaki
- Tatsuo Kawaguchi
- Kazushige Koike
- Albrecht Dietrich
- Luciano Fabro
- Mario García Torres
- Koki Tanaka
- Shinji Kohmoto
- Toshiaki Minemura
- Nobuo Sekine
- Bill Viola
- Laurie Anderson
- Genpei Akasegawa
- Natsuyuki Nakanishi
- Kishio Suga
Institutions
- White Rainbow gallery
- Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
- Kyoto Municipal Art Museum
- Aichi Prefectural Art Gallery
- Fukuoka Prefectural Culture House
- Kunsthalle Bern
- Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- Tate Modern
- Keio University Art Centre
- Museum of Modern Art, New York
- National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
- Louisiana Museum of Modern Art
- The Kitchen
- Taka Ishii Gallery
- Asia Art Archive
- Mainichi Shinbun-sha
- Afterall
- Wide White Space Gallery
- Philadelphia Museum of Art
- San Benedetto del Tronto
- Ueno park
Locations
- Tokyo
- Japan
- Kyoto
- Nagoya
- Fukuoka
- London
- England
- Bern
- Switzerland
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- New York
- United States
- Kassel
- Germany
- Venice
- Italy
- San Benedetto del Tronto
- Antwerp
- Belgium
- Philadelphia
- Osaka
- Copenhagen
- Denmark
- Poland
- Czechoslovakia
Sources
- Afterall —