720 N. Highland Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90038

6917 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90038

Tel. 323 450 9409

Shuzo Azuchi Gulliver

Biography

Shuzo Azuchi Gulliver (real name: Shuzo Azuchi) was born in 1947 in what is now Otsu,
Shiga Prefecture. (Japan)
Mainly lives in Tokyo.
He first became involved in artistic activities such as Happenings as a high school
student, and while enrolled in the Philosophy Department at his university, was greatly
influenced by a published collection of Marcel Duchamp’s works.
After moving to Tokyo in 1967 and presenting a series of experimental films which
combined what was on the screen with what was outside it, in 1973, Gulliver embarked
on one of his most important works, ‘Body Contract’. In this pivotal piece in the artist’s
career, Gulliver divided his body up into 80 parts and through the use of an executive
committee entrusted the custody of each to 80 people following his death. In 1984,
Gulliver staged ‘De-Story’, a 240-hour performance work involving a structure

comprised of three cuboids, each of which corresponded to the volume of spacerequired for him to “stand,” “sit,” and “lie.” Then in the 90s, having developed aninterest in the idea that every living thing is ruled by various combinations of the fourbases (adenine, thymine, cytosine, guanine) of the DNA structure, Gulliver began
devoting himself to work that made use of the initials of these components, ATCG. On
the other hand, in recent years, Gulliver has continued to develop the ‘Ex-Sign’ series
based on an interest in “shapes” and “marks” that dates back to the 1970s.

Although Gulliver’s works, as a reflection of his broad interests, comprise an extremely
diverse range of media, including drawings, installations, and performances, all of themraise unique questions regarding existence and the self, avoid any obvious or
preexisting framework, and adopt a consistently challenging attitude to fundamental
issues.
While these activities hold a unique position in post-war art, a large number of the work
is still unreleased, leaving his countenance in mystery.

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720 N. Highland Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90038

Short Curriculum Vitae

2023
2022
2020

6917 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90038

Tel. 323 450 9409

SHUZO AZUCHI GULLIVER: ‘Synogenesis’, Nonaka-Hill, Los Angeles‘Breath-Amorphous’ BankART, Yokohama‘Cinematic Illumination’ Museum of Moderm Art, New York

‘Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions 2020: The Imagination of Time’,Tokyo Photographic Art Museum, Tokyo2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014

‘Note to note’ Spaziodanseei, Oligiate Olona (Italy)‘On a bien accroché’ (with Marc Buchy) Maison Grégoire, Brussels‘Japanese Expanded Cinema Revisited’ Tokyo photographic Museum, Tokyo‘Sange/Letters from the World (petali che cadono)’ Spaziotemporaneo, Milano‘La dolce vita (1999/2015)’ Neue Kunstverein Wuppertal, Wuppertal (Germany)

Begins “Sound gift,” a project to counteract “BODY” project, where ever single soundpronounced until death is presented as a gift.

20122011
2010
2009
2004
2003

‘SHI’ (with Yuki Okumura) Etablissement d'en face project, Brussels‘From/To Sri Lanka’ Sakado station, Sakato (Japan)‘One night exhibition in the Dream’

Holds comprehensive one-man exhibition “EX-SIGN”‘Shuzo Azuchi Gulliver’ Dieci.Due Arte, Milano‘Tai-i (Paradigm)’ Kyoto Seika University Gallery Fleur, Kyoto

Lecture ‘Il fascino indiscreto del denaro’ at Aura Magna dell'Ateneo Veneto, Venezia‘Zero/Concept' (Art affairs, Amsterdam)

2000

Researcher, Tokyo University Research into Artifacts, Center for Engineering.

1999

Lecture and speech ‘The ancient human being and the modern artist: The sense of1998‘Ex-self’ Mizuma art Gallery, Tokyo

1997
1996

drawing’ Museo Civico di Storia Naturare di Milano, Milano‘Fukui Biennale 7: Media and Human body’ Fukui City Art Museum, Fukui (Japan)‘Art Meets’ Charlottenborg (Copenhagen)‘Garden Project’ Aalsmeer (The Netherlands) Commissioned by City Aalsmeer,
Provincie Noord-Holland and Mondrian foundation

1994
1993
1992

‘Of the human condition’ Spiral art center, Tokyo‘Shuzo Azuchi Gulliver’ Unimedia, Genova‘Brain-Internal Affairs’ Beatrixziekenhuis, Gorinchem (The Netherlands)‘Avanguardie Giapponesi Degli anni 70’ Galleria comunale d'Arte moderna Bologna,
toured to Setagaya Museum, Tokyo

1991
1990
1984
1977-78
1973‘Body’ Dieci.Due! Milano

Activity in Europe increases.
Lecture ‘Paik opera (dedicated to Nam Jun Paik)’ Nagoya art forum, Nagoya‘De-story’ (240 hours performance ) Az corporation, Tokyo

Organize ‘Yoyogi opened studio’ Tokyo

Begins the exemplary “BODY” project, where the body is divided into 80 parts after
death and entrust the parts to 80 specic people through a specic executive group.

www.nonaka-hill.com

720 N. Highland Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90038

Short Curriculum Vitae

19676917 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90038

Tel. 323 450 9409

Forms “PLAY” group with acquaintances from Kansai to oppose “Gutai group” Late-60s.
Produces experimental cinematographs, networks with Japanese members of Fluxus.

1967
1964

Makes headlines as one of the leaders representing Japanese “futen,” or hippie.

Begins working on subjective works such as the performance ( ‘Happening’ ). Befriends
American beatniks visiting Kyoto, studying philosophy at University.

Museum andShiga Museum Art (Shiga, Japan)

Public Collections

The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (Kyoto)
Tokyo Photographic Art Museum (Tokyo)
Museum of Moderm Art (New York)Kyoto Seika University (Kyoto)
Shiga Perfectural ZEZE High School (Shiga, Japan)
Haverford College (Haverford, USA)www.nonaka-hill.com