GEISAI #10:
A Bi-Annual Art Fair in Tokyo
September 17, 2006, 10 AM to 6 PM
Presented by Kaikai Kiki, Under the Direction of Takashi Murakami
Tokyo Big Sight East Hall 4
(Tokyo International Exhibition Center)
3-21-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan
GEISAI #10, the tenth edition of Kaikai Kikis art fair with a twist, will take place on September 17, 2006 at the Tokyo Big Sight East Hall in Tokyo. Held twice a year, GEISAI is a lively one-day event that combines hundreds of booths of artists eager to promote their works, thousands of visitors shopping and browsing through the selection, an international cast of judges to select and award the best participants, and music and entertainment. With an open-application process, Kaikai Kiki, led by Takashi Murakami, expects over 1,000 artists, as well as a few galleries, to showcase their work to more than 10,000 visitors at GEISAI #10.
A panel of judges comprised of prominent international art figures has been selected for GEISAI #10, including Francesco Bonami, Marcel Dzama, Douglas Fogle, Hiroshi Fujiwara, and Kashiwa Sato. These jurors will collaborate to award gold, silver, and bronze medalists, as well as present their own personal prizes to noteworthy participants. Past judges have included Tadao Ando, Tom Eccles, Yayoi Kusama, Yoshitomo Nara, François Pinault, and Paul Schimmel.
Following the tremendous success of GEISAI #9 in March 2006, Kaikai Kiki expects an impressive line-up of talented participants at GEISAI #10. Medalists of GEISAI #9 included: Soichi Yamaguchi (Gold), Takaaki Tsuchiya (Silver), and Kazuharu Ishikawa (Bronze). Recipients of the Gold prize since 2002 include: Team Potato, Yasuyuki Nishio, Komainu, Gluten, Masao Kinoshita, Sakurako Hamaguchi, Erina Matsui, Haruno, and 284.
Promoting the shifting boundaries in contemporary art, GEISAI features not only visual art, but animation, live music and an array of unique performances. Each year, GEISAI reaches out to an international audience and attracts many galleries, television networks, magazines and other media that come to scout out the emerging talent and experience the energy at GEISAI. While appealing to a somewhat progressive audience, GEISAI still maintains its strong ties to a Japanese artistic tradition. It was designed as a unique Japanese art festival that would shape the future of Japanese art and nurture the next generation of artists.
Inspiration and History:
GEISAIs predecessor, Geijutsu Dojo (founded in 2000), was based on the terakoya, or temple school type educational model of the Edo Period. These schools provided nurturing grounds through discipline, feedback, and peer discourse, preparing young people for the professional challenges of the world. Similarly, Takashi Murakami gave advice and fostered communication in his Geijutsu Dojo, helping young people to produce, show, and promote their works. GEISAI officially began as a free-participation event in the spring of 2002.
GEISAI #10 will take place on Sunday, September 17, 2006
Hours: 10 AM to 6 PM Location: The Tokyo Big Sight East Hall 4
(Tokyo International Exhibition Center)
3-21-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0063, Japan
About Kaikai Kiki:
Kaikai Kiki was founded by Takashi Murakami in 2001, and evolved from its predecessor, the Hiropon Factory. Its goals as an enterprise include the production and promotion of artwork, the management and support of select young artists, general management of events and projects, and the production and promotion of merchandise. With bases in Japans Asaka City, Long Island City, New York, and Daikanyama, Tokyo; Kaikai Kiki is a unique organization looking to the future to broaden the horizons of contemporary art. For more information on Kaikai Kiki, please visit www.kaikaikiki.co.jp.
For more information and updates on GEISAI #10, please visit www.geisai.net (Japanese) or www2.geisai.net (English).
For further information, images, and interviews:
Media Contact:
Antoine Vigne or Lucy Toole
Blue Medium, Inc.
T: 212-675-1800
F: 212-675-1855
lucy@bluemedium.com
