PRESS RELEASE

2 0 1 9 . 07 . 0 1

Now, it's time to playSat. 20 July – Sun. 20 October, 2019“Playing”—the theme of an exhibition scheduled for summer vacation time at MOT this year. “Stop playing!
You need to 〜 !” we are told. Always, the need to “study” or “work” or “help out” interrupts our play time.
Playing, it follows, is frivolous and counterproductive to a practical everyday living. But there is another side—playing, by helping us escape routine thinking, oﬀers valuable chances to get new ideas and discover new values.
This exhibition features artworks fun for both children and adults created by six artists and artist-teams.
Experiences of all kinds await you in the gallery: artworks you can touch and artworks you can participate in likeplaying a game. This being a contemporary art museum, however, there is more to it than simply mindless fun.
Playing promotes ease and flexibility, as when someone says, “Give play to the steering wheel.” You cannot
drive your car comfortably if clenching the wheel tightly all the time. Similarly, we often restrain ourselves,thinking “I have to be the same as others” or “I'm not allowed to fail,” with result that life becomes suﬀocating.
The richly playful artworks of this exhibition will humorously loosen such restraints. The stimulation they giveto our curiosity and sense of mischief—or feelings of wanting to do something diﬀerent—is a rich source of
creative energy, full of hints for living in times of rapid change.

Highlights

１ Playing in participatory artworks

The gallery will be filled with participatory works, fun for children and adults, having elements of play orgame-participation. Go inside huge artworks, try to hit the target, and paint and craft . . . In some cases,
the traces of your playing will remain part of the work. The door to enjoying art is to wonder, “What is this?”

２ Playing together with artists

An array of related events—chances to see inside the artist's playful heart!
The artists themselves will lead events of wide-ranging character, from hilarious performances to absorbing
workshops. By holding them in various sites in the museum, visitors will be encouraged to explore ournewly renovated museum.

３ Playing and taking photographs

Visitors can freely take photographs at this exhibition. Sprawling, mazelike art installations present terrificphoto opportunities! Take commemorative photos with friends.
＊ Photography will be subject to conditions: do not use video or photograph other visitors. Do not use flash
lighting, tripods, selfie sticks or devices that may disturb others.
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Contact
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Public Relations Mihoko Nakajima / Chiako Kudo
TEL +81-3-5245-1134
E-MAIL mot-pr@mot-art.jp

WEB https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/

Participating artists
Yoshiaki Kaihatsu
Taking everyday scenes and events and communication withpeople as his subjects, Yoshiaki Kaihatsu creates installations
and holds performances and workshops. In the first exhibition
room, an immense wall of cabinets will loom—the Kaihatsu work
Examination Wall expressing the high-pressure competition ofentrance examinations.
1. Yoshiaki Kaihatsu, Examination Wall, reproduction of 2016,
Installation view at Ichihara Lakeside Museum
Photo: Yoshiaki Kaihatsu

Kazuhiro Nomura
An earring, a woman's shoe—things that are one of an incomplete pair.
Buttons that came oﬀ clothing. As his motifs, Kazuhiro Nomura examines
everyday items that have lost their function. This time, Nomura will display
Altar of Laughter, a participatory artwork in which visitors toss buttons at apedestal. Buttons successfully landed mean “success.” The “failed” buttons
of all colors remain scattered on the floor. As they pile up, they form anephemeral, ever-changing painting.

2. Kazuhiro Nomura, Altar of Laughter,
Exhibition view: “Waiting for spring -Towards a landscape changing color-” 2015,
Towada Art Center Aomori Photo: Kuniya Oyamada

team Hamburg
team Hamburg is an ONLINE MEETING GROUP currently formedof a 13-person team + Burg AI and FM Burg Radio. With SNS
group chat as a playground, they draw infinite keywords out of
seemingly incoherent dialogue, enjoying the fun ofmisunderstanding while repeatedly editing and destroying
content, and developing it in artworks.

3. team Hamburg

Image drawing for new work by Jim'Old

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Contact
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Public Relations Mihoko Nakajima / Chiako Kudo
TEL +81-3-5245-1134
E-MAIL mot-pr@mot-art.jp

WEB https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/

Tanotaiga
Tanotaiga actively explores social systems and values in artworks
that examine the power possessed by symbols and media aroundus in daily life. This time, Tanotaiga will display a participatory
work, Tanonymous. Covering entire walls is an array of masks
based on the artist's face. The uniformly expressionless masks
gradually take on diversity as visitors whimsically decorate them.
4. Tanotaiga, Tanonymous, 2007
Installation view at sendai mediatheque Photo:Tanotaiga

TOLTA
Formed in 2006, TOLTA is a verbal art unit creating installations
and performances around the concept of “words.” In Cube thePositive Curse, visitors freely combine building-block cubes
inscribed with words and create strange sentences. This time
TOLTA will display an updated version along with new works.
5. TOLTA, Cube the Positive Curse, 2016
Exhibition view “Gallery Voltaire” Photo: Mito Ikeda©SPIRAL / Wacoal Art Center

Usio
Usio produces artworks using game rules and devices, words,
images, and narratives based on a method of recomposing. Thistime Usio will display a new installation inspired by games
having a selection of possible endings. At every junction, newexperiences interweaving daily life, playing, and art awaitvisitors.
6. Usio

Drawing for Things Just Don't Turn out the Way You Picture

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Contact
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Public Relations Mihoko Nakajima / Chiako Kudo
TEL +81-3-5245-1134
E-MAIL mot-pr@mot-art.jp

WEB https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/Related Programs＊ Japanese only

Yoshiaki Kaihatsu “Kiba's Lazy Panda”
Kaihatsu becomes a Lazy Panda and wanders around in the museum. If you meet him, you're lucky!
Date/time: Irregular appearances, dependent on the panda's mood.

Usio “Let's invent a way to play! micro:bit ideathon”
Visitors will experience the basic actions of small-scale computer micro:bit and programming, and use themto develop new ways of playing.
Date/time: Jul 28 (Sun) 10:00-12:30
Participants: Elementary school age (3rd-grade and older w/ guardians) and older
Capacity: 15 (pre-application required; order of arrival)
What to bring: lap-top computer (rental possible: \1,000)

Tanotaiga “Tanonymous Workshop”
Tour & workshop: tour the museum and take commemorative photos wearing a Tanonymous mask.
Date/time: Aug 25 (Sun) 15:00–16:00
Participants: Elementary school age (w/ guardian) and older
Capacity: 15 (pre-application required; order of arrival) ＊Exhibition ticket required

Kazuhiro Nomura Talk & Performance
A talk & performance expressing the artist's thinking about his artworks and art in general.
Date/time: Sep 15 (Sun)13:00-13:10 “About My Work, Oldness and Immaturity”
15:00-15:10 “Red body”

TOLTA “Places Beyond the Universe”
Poetry reading and performance by TOLTA members.
Date/time: Sep 28 (Sat) 15:00-16:00
Capacity: 30 (Order of arrival) ＊Exhibition ticket required

Lecture on playing for adults “Play x Work” (Lecture)
Date/time: Aug 23 (Fri) 19:00-20:00
Lecturer: Yasuhiro Hattori (Business Scholar)
Capacity: 200 (Order of arrival) ＊Sign language interpretation

Lecture on playing for adults “Play x Art History” (Lecture)
Date/time: Sep 29 (Sun) 15:00-17:00
Lecturer: Takuya Nakao (Art critic), Usio (artist)
Capacity: 200 (Order of arrival) ＊Sign language interpretation* For up-to-date details on this and other related events please see our website.
* Changes in planning are apt to occur.

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Contact
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Public Relations Mihoko Nakajima / Chiako Kudo
TEL +81-3-5245-1134
E-MAIL mot-pr@mot-art.jp

WEB https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/

Information
PeriodSat. 20 July – Sun. 20 October, 2019

ClosedMondays(12 August, 16 & 23 September, 14 October will be open) and 13 August,
17 & 24 September, 15 OctoberOpening Hours

10:00-18:00
Summer Night Museum; On Fridays in July & August (26 July, 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 August)
we will be open until 21:00

Admission

Adults 1,200yen（960 yen）
University & College Students, Over 65 850 yen（680 yen）
High School & Junior High School Students 600 yen（480 yen）
Elementary School & Under Free* ( ) Price for a group, over 20 people* Summer Night Museum discount price (Students : Free / Adults 960 yen / Over 65680yen)

VenuesMuseum of Contemporary Art Tokyo Exhibition Gallery 1F / 3F (room B)

Organized by

Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture , Museum of Contemporary
Art Tokyo

Supported by

The Kao Foundation for Arts and Sciences

In collaboration withKoala Mattress

Concurrent Exhibition
MOT Satellite 2019 - Wandering, Mapping
Sat, 3 Aug - Sun, 20 Oct, 2019

MOT Collection Part 2: Pleased to meet you. New Acquisitions in recent years
Sat, 20 Jun - Sun, 20 Oct, 2019
5Contact
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Public Relations Mihoko Nakajima / Chiako Kudo
TEL +81-3-5245-1134
E-MAIL mot-pr@mot-art.jp

WEB https://www.mot-art-museum.jp/en/