August 23 – 29 | 2013

Takao Sakata, the artist of seventh week of whole SUMMER EXHIBITION SERIES 2013, who has a long career as glass-work artist live and work in Shiga, Japan. He would like to introduce, not only audience also other glass-work artists in the world, the new era of glass-work art which must be created from a strong passion to breakthrough the conventionality of current “glass art”.

This is his third year of appearance in Summer Exhibition Series. He also preys repose of victims’ souls of the Tohoku Earthquake on March 11, 2011 in the works, “KUKAI NO HOTORI (On the bank of suffering)”.

Artist Statement

“When we look at the glasswork art in these days, I can only see weak, cheap, and flatter works. They are called “the modern glass art” or “the world glass art” and seen as if they are the real art. Glass artisans without strong belief and knowledge and the lack of outstanding glass-work art critics abstract making progress of the art. The substantial of art is to express nature, society and human being through clear senses and techniques. It means the attribute of glass material doesn’t produce any arts. Marcel Duchamp signed that people in this century had been completely blind to the art. It is also the severe criticism to “the modern glass-work art.”

Artists accused a falsehood of an era with their insanity that is inherent in themselves, which is a reason why many Western artists have been respected. Those artists risked their lives through their representations. Social value of artists does not change at any time; artists are useless all the time.

Young artists should think carefully. Artists are the ones who decide to gaze live and death; memento mori, in all creations universally. You must not rely on what critics think about your works. In solitude, you have to let time pass. You should not let representations calm and rip off this century. “

—Takao Sakata

Takao Sakata
Live and work in Shiga, Japan
Graduated from Tokyo Glass Art Institute

The annual gallery event “SUMMER EXHIBITION SERIES 2013” is on view now through August 29, 2013. AG Gallery opens everyday from 12pm to 8pm during the show period.

Take a photo tour of solo exhibition by Yoko Takeuchi.
On view through Aug 22, 2013.

FRIEND NO MORE & LOVER NO MORE

NOT CODEPENDENCE; A NEW RELATIONSHIP TO FLY

AUGUST 2 – 8 | 2013

15 mins Dance Performance : August 3,4,5 | Sometimes between 2 – 5pm

UNARO

AG gallery is pleased to announce Unaro’s exhibition, Friend No More, Lover No More. This exhibition is a part of our Summer Series 2013, and on view from August 2nd through 8th. We are also holding their performance at the gallery.

Unaro is an artist collective formed in 2013 in Tokyo with Junichi Kagami, Fanaco, Shinna. Their styles including dance and photography are unconventional. Junichi Kagami takes photographs of Fanaco and Shinna. They have been sharing time for 15 years as they travel and share spiritual world without depending each other. Although some of their friends and families do not understand their relationships and cause to jealousy or doubt, their relationships are still strong. It would be difficult to be understood by people in conservative society like Japan even in today. It seems extreme, but Rules and Freedom — these opposite ideas never be merged. However, they are present in the same world.

On the first solo show in New York, they will give us a whole new experience of art, combination of still photographs and dance performance. About 15 mins dance performance will be performed on weekends, sometimes between 2pm to 5pm.

ARTIST PROFILE

UNARO / Photography, Performance, Installation. Unaro is an artist collective formed in 2013 in Tokyo with Junichi Kagami, Fanaco, Shinna. Their styles including dance and photography are unconventional. They are eager to express their photographs and performances in all over the world. Using photograph, they express passion, fusion, contrast, and diffusion with a single person or several people.

About Fanaco:  Junichi Kagami has been taking photographs of Fanaco for 15 years. Fanaco is bewitching and in freedom, as if she is a child and is able to change other people. She performs dance, but dancing is one of her ways to express her mind. She also makes her own costumes and play music. Her life itself is art. Kagami wants to keep taking photographs of Fanaco forever.

UNARO

JUNICHI KAGAMI : PHOTOGRAPHY

FANACO: MODEL&HAIR-MAKE

SHINNA: MODEL&HAIR-MAKE

(COSTUME DESIGN: MIHOKO NAKAJIMA and TOMOYUKI TERAUCHI)

PHOTOGRAOHY AND PERFORMANCE ART