Today I unglued myself from the tatami of summer self pity and went to the Gendaibijutsu Nitouhey: Dabijutsu Great Exhibition at Hep 5 in Umeda. And I am jolly glad I did because I haven’t had so much fun in a whole yonk.
The artists — collectively Gendaibijutsu Nitouhey — use everyday objects and references to the arts and re-model them to create satire, insight, and, above all, a good laugh.
The seven gods of good fortune are found adrift in a life raft; a stray hair in the bathroom takes on monster-like proportions; an angelic baby sprouts grilled chicken wings from its back; Japanese eye test charts spin before your eyes; a doll in martial garb wears a Friday the 13th hockey mask.
The exhibits take you around classical and popular culture, modern Japan, the kitchen and the bathroom. This is a multi-media exhibition: video, photographs, paintings — but the most effective exhibits are models and sculptures; everyday things repurposed, re-ordered.
And did I mention that the show is free?
www.hephall.com/19040