Today´s ikebana arrangement for the Japanese tea room at the Sogetsu head quarters, Tokyo. Arranged by a master teacher. Intense, don´t you think?
Category Archives: Art
Old Uppsala
Old Uppsala is situated 5 km north of Uppsala. This was one of the most important sacred sites in Scandinavia with regular sacrificial rites and burials of royalty before the arrival of Christianity. These are the Royal Mounds, consisting of three large burial mounds. (5th and 6th century AD)
It was custom to burn the body in a fire to transfer the soul to Valhalla, the afterlife. Bodies were buried with rich grave goods for use in the afterlife. Human sacrifice was part of Old Uppsala life. During Fröblot (winter solstice every ninth year) nine people were hanged from a tree. The trees were considered sacred. Immersing a living man in a well would ensure that the gods would answer prayers if he disappeared.
The stone church was built over the pagan temple and dates from the early 12th century, however, due to fire and renovations it is more of a remnant of the original. 
Faded wall paintings.
Nicolai Bergmann DAC Denmark Art and Culture
Time for a glimpse of spring colours. These beautiful flower decorations were part of Danish flower artist Nicolai Bergmann´s venue DAC Denmark Art and Culture Reception Party in early April. Invited were Danish contemporary artist Christina Malbek, who trained at the Royal Danish Academy of Art in Copenhagen. Malbek paints with airbrush technique, using pressurized spray cans, the same technique as graffiti. Colour wise we notice Nordic romantic landscape art. Themes she often returns to are “life´s lack of logic and a wish to give meaning to what one sees.” Sometimes she also combines sections of digital photos.
Chefs Victor Wagman and Sam Nutter from Danish restaurant BROR, famous for their unique menu, were in charge of the kitchen.
Merry Christmas!
Fortnum & Mason, London. The Christmas craze was already in full swing when I visited London in early November. A welcome escape would not only be a stroll in a park
but also a visit to The Wallace Collection at Hertford House, Manchester Square. Here I was guided by my most knowledgeable daughter who is a designer, art historian, artist and independent curator. Needless to say, I had a lovely time. 
Today, Tokyo weather is on its best behaviour with sunshine from a bright blue sky. My urban garden has got new life and there is no snow or slippery roads. Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!
Yasumasa Morimura – Rembrandt Room Revisited
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
This museum building was originally built as a private home, designed by Jin Watanabe. It was completed in 1938 and shows influences derived from 1930s European modernist architecture, typical of the early Showa era. The former private estate of business tycoon Kunizo Hara (chairman of for instance Tokyo Gas and Japan Airlines) was turned into a museum in 1979. In 2008, the building saw a major renovation. Currently on show is Yasumasa Morimura – Rembrandt Room Revisited (2013.10.12 – 12.23). It is a reprise of Morimura´s exhibition from 1994. The works are part of the Hara Museum Collection. 
Yasumasa Morimura is a Japanese appropriation artist, which means that he “borrows” works from historical artists, in this case Rembrandt, and inserts his own face and body. He is one of Japan´s most well-known artists.
As usual, this is an exhibition that doesn´t allow photos to be taken except for the permanent installation by Morimura (and not representative of his usual style of appropriation) entitled Rondo (1994), a conversion of one of the museum´s toilets. For this exhibition, the figure has been dressed in a new tweed outfit. 
Postcards from the museum shop
Have a great weekend everyone!
Cant´get enough? Morimura is also showing all new works at the Shiseido Gallery in Tokyo Ginza Shiseido Building (September 28 – December 25, 2013). The exhibition is entitled Las Meninas Renacen de Noche. Enjoy!
Ikebana – Japanese Flower Arrangement
Ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement, comes from the two words hana (bana) and ike. Hana means flower and ike(ru) to arrange plants. It started in the 6th century as kuge, or offering of flowers at the Buddhist altar. Soon the arrangements became more elaborate and organized with flowers and branches that reached upwards and were arranged in a group of three, representing the relationship between heaven, earth and man. In the late 15th century, priests, noblemen and samurai warriors made it into an erudite pastime and art. Today ikebana is sculptural, three-dimensional as it might be presented to be seen from all angles, an art of placement, aesthetic training for the eye and not to forget fun, challenging and a way to brighten up your day or surroundings alike. Why not spice up your autumn arrangement with some chilli to create dynamics? Freestyle arrangements in the spirit of the Sogetsu School. 
Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo
Infinite Renew by Mariko Mori
Mariko Mori, 森 万里子 was born in 1967 in Japan. She studied at Bunka Fashion College and later at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London. She currently lives and works in New York.
Common themes in Mori´s work are the juxtaposition of Eastern and Western culture. She works in photography, digital imaging and also abstract sculptures and installations with a Zen like aura, inspired by theoretical physics. The Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo turned meditative with her latest carte-blanche exhibition Infinite Renew, consisting of 8 pieces. (until January 5, 2014) 7 pieces have been created especially for the show and 5 of those were supported by Espace Louis Vuitton Tokyo. Enjoy!
The Infinite Energy triptych is a series of three high tech spirals. The visitor is connected from the floor to the ceiling through a camera/LED real-time monitored set up.
Infinite Energy I, II, III, 2013, Fiberglass, mirror, LED, real-time control system, 1900mm x 7800mm. The lights change colours depending on how the visitors move.
“The sculpture series of Renew follows the Möbius form and reflects the common form of existence, from the primal particles to the multiverse, the never-ending circulation of life and death.”
Renew I, 2013, Fiber glass, 868mm x 1181mm x 1890mm.
Renew II, 2013, Fiber glass, 1195mm x 1935mm x 567mm
Birds II, 2012, Lucite, 460mm x 915mm x 340mm 
Butterfly, 2013, Polyurethane, 1000mm x 633mm x 400mm
Japanese Tearoom – chashitsu
The chashitsu is an architectural space designed particularly for the Japanese tea ceremony. Associated with the tea room are chabana, the flower arrangements, shoji – sliding windows and doors of wooden lattice covered in translucent Japanese paper, tatami mats of rice straw, the tokonoma alcove and most of all, the simple style. 
The tokonoma is a built in space where items such as calligraphic scrolls and flower arrangements are displayed. This tearoom has the function of a reception room. 
Ikebana – Japanese Flower Arrangement
Sogetsu School, freestyle.
Have a great weekend!
Come rain, come shine…
Today Tokyo has shown itself from the wet side, although the weather has been a bit back and forth.
With nothing in particular planned what better than to take the opportunity to get some insight into the art world? Not newly published but still ever so current, Don Thompson’s The $12 Million Stuffed Shark, The curious Economics of Contemporary Art, gives you the insight into why a New York investment banker would consider spending $12 million for a decaying, stuffed shark and how a leather jacket with silver chains attached could possibly be considered art where it’s thrown in a corner, titled No-one Ever Leaves. By the way, it sold for $690,000 at a Sotheby’s auction. We also get acquainted with auction houses, dealers and collectors.
Just think about it, if the stuffed shark had simply been named Shark would it have been as interesting as when titled The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, which supposedly forces the viewer to create meaning? Marketing genius. I only wish it was me. However, Hirst was not the first to display a shark. Already back in 1989, a golden hammerhead shark was displayed in E. Saunder’s JD electrical shop in Shoreditch, London. (Two years before Hirst’s.) This was followed by the same particular shark being displayed in the Stuckism International Gallery, London (2003), titled A Dead Shark Isn’t Art. Later Saunders advertised his shark for £ 1 million: “New Year Sale: Shark for only £ 1,000,000; save £5,000,000 on the Damien Hirst copy.” Needless to say, the shark didn’t sell but ignited discussions on the concept of art.
Another interesting read for a rainy day (from September 21st) is The Economist’s In praise of art forgery, The Emperor’s new pictures, Fakes say some interesting things about the economics of art.
This article mentions that “If the purchasers of great art were buying paintings only for their beauty, they would be content to display fine fakes on their walls. The fury and embarrassment caused by the exposure of a forger suggests this is not so.” What do you think? Ok to hang a fake as long as you don’t have to pay for the brand maybe?
Every-Other-Day By Anne 