※英語の後に日本語が続きます

Saturday, May 22, 2021 ‒ Sunday, June 20, 2021

Born in Fukushima Prefecture in 1984, Bontaro Dokuyama launched into artistic activity in reaction to the Great East Japan Earthquake that struck on March 11, 2011 and ensuing catastrophe at the Daiichi Nuclear Power Station operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. He has since remained in vigorous action both inside and outside Japan, and participated in various exhibitions, including "Roppongi Crossing 2019: Connexions" (Mori Art Museum, Tokyo) and "Aichi Triennale 2019: Taming Y/Our Passion" (in the Shikemichi & Endoji areas of Nagoya).

His solo exhibition "SAKURA" held at LEESAYA last year is still fresh in all minds. It shed light on the historical stratification and political diversity associated with the cherry blossom ("sakura"), whose use for the "public entity" has changed with the times. For it, Dokuyama unveiled a number of works that were incisive commentaries on themes including national identity, war, economic benefit, and the Olympics. The exhibition was roundly praised.

This exhibition is being held for the purpose of promoting IGENE, a project for a tour of the zone designated as "difficult to return" within the area that was exposed to high levels of radioactivity, to be conducted this summer. Dokuyama first entered this zone in his native Fukushima last year, about nine years after the nuclear catastrophe that occasioned the start of his artistic activities. This experience gave him a keen awareness of how the zone situation, nuclear power, and Fukushima have been discussed by the mass media, society as a whole, and the artist himself on the basis of information that has not been updated, and prompted his decision to hold the tour. He intends to visit various locations together with the participants, with a view to deepening understanding of the current status and pursuing discussion grounded in the realities. LEESAYA endorses these intentions of his and decided to assist the promotion of this tour.

The exhibition will show a video affording glimpses of the tour destinations and a number of new works inspired by "Lemon Elegy," one of the poems in the collection "Chieko's Sky" dedicated to Chieko Takamura, a noted Fukushima-born painter who is a favorite of Dokuyama's, by her husband after her death. It will also offer detailed information on the tour and sell tickets for it.
Dokuyama cannot readily obtain public subsidies for the tour given its nature, and is planning to pay the entire expense himself. We are therefore hoping that as many people as possible will give their approval to and provide some warm support for this project, and urge all to see "Reversed Light," this latest solo exhibition by Bontaro Dokuyama.



毒山凡太朗　個展「反転する光」

2021年05月22日（土） － 06月20日（日）

毒山凡太朗（どくやま・ぼんたろう）は 1984年福島県に生まれ、2011年3月11日に発生した東日本大震災と東京電力福島第一原子力発電所事故をきっかけに、作家活動を開始し、「六本木クロッシング 2019：つないでみる（森美術館）」や「あいちトリエンナーレ2019 : 情の時代（四間道・円頓寺エリア、名古屋市）」をはじめ、国内外を問わず精力的に活動を続けてきました。

記憶に新しい昨年開催されたLEESAYAでの個展「SAKURA」では、時代によって「公共」のために利用されてきた桜のもつ、歴史的重層性と政治的多義性に焦点を当て、ナショナル・アイデンティティ、戦争、経済、五輪など様々なテーマに鋭くアプローチした作品群を発表し、大変ご好評をいただきました。

本展は今夏に行われる帰還困難区域ツアープロジェクト「IGENE」のプロモーションを目的とした展覧会です。毒山が作家活動を始めるきっかけとなった原発事故から、9年が経った昨年、初めて故郷・福島の帰還困難区域に入域しました。その経験から、いかにメディアや社会、自分自身がアップデートされていない情報で区域内や原発、福島について語っていたかを痛感し、ツアーの開催を決意しました。参加者と共に各所を巡り、現状についてより理解を深め、リアリティのある議論を交わしたいという作家の想いに弊廊も賛同し、ツアーのプロモーションを助成することといたしました。

展覧会ではツアー内容が垣間見える映像作品と、福島を代表する作家の高村智恵子に、ひとしおの思いを寄せる毒山が、「レモン哀歌（智恵子抄）」を手がかりに新作群を発表いたします。また、ツアーに関する詳細情報の案内や、チケット販売も行う予定です。

ツアーの内容から、公的な助成金などを得ることが難しいため、全て作家が自弁で行う予定です。一人でも多くのお客様にご賛同と温かいご支援を賜りたく、毒山凡太朗の「反転する光」を是非ともご高覧ください。