Tokyo Contemporary Art Award
2019-2021 Exhibition
March 20(Sat.) – June 20(Sun.), 2021
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
＊To prevent the spread of COVID-19, reservation is required for this exhibition. Further information >>
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tokyo Arts and Space (TOKAS) established the Tokyo Contemporary Art Award (TCAA) in 2018 as a contemporary art prize to encourage mid-career artists to make new breakthroughs in their work by providing them with two years of continuous support.
An award exhibition will be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo featuring Kazama Sachiko and Shitamichi Motoyuki, the winners of the inaugural TCAA.
This exhibition highlights early and recent works by Kazama Sachiko and Shitamichi Motoyuki.
Kazama Sachiko’s latest series is also the title of her exhibition: Magic Mountain. It is inspired by German novelist Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain and revolves around the theme of breaking away from confrontation through introspection amid the global spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Her exhibition presents past works related to this theme, in addition to other large-scale artworks, to show the trajectory of her thought as an artist.
Through his projects, Shitamichi Motoyuki has created works that incorporate the intentions of others into his own process, as well as works that are passed onto, or used by, others and therefore blur the boundaries of what we considered “artwork.” His is an attempt to discover what lies between ordinary life and artistic creation by focusing on works that develop in the course of life as it unfolds.
＊Subject to alteration according to the state of the COVID-19 infection.Visitors guideline is available here.
＊Temporary closure from April 25 (Sun) to May 31 (Mon).
KAZAMA Sachiko
Photo: Yoko Asakai
Born in Tokyo in 1972. Lives and works in Tokyo.
She probes the past to uncover the origins of contemporary phenomena, creating primarily black woodblock prints foreshadowing the dark clouds hanging over the future.
Go to profile and reasons for award >>
Walhalla Castle ‘Kurobe Gold’
2019, woodcut print (panel, Japanese paper, oil ink)
Courtesy of Kurobe City Art Museum
Photo: YANAGIHARA Ryohei
Nonhuman Crossing
2013, woodcut print (panel, Japanese paper, oil ink)
Courtesy of Mori Art Museum
Collection of Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
Photo: WATANABE Osamu
SHITAMICHI Motoyuki
Born in Okayama in 1978, Based in Kagawa.
He is known for the roles that travel and fieldwork play in his practice, such as in his Remnants series (2001-2005).
Go to profile and reasons for award >>
Setouchi "100 Years Tourism" Museum, 2020
Collection of Fukutake Foundaiton
New Stone Tools
2016-2017, photos, book, stones
The Artists’ Talk by Shitamichi Motoyuki and Kazama Sachiko will be held online as follows.
Shitamicih Motoyuki will talk about his exhibited works and KAZAMA Sachiko will conduct a gallery tour commenting on her works in the exhibition gallery.
*Subject to alteration according to the state of the COVID-19 infection.
To coincide with the launch of the exhibition, we are publishing two monographs (in Japanese and English), one for each artist, Kazama Sachiko and Shitamichi Motoyuki. The monographs feature images of the works, essays from the artists, and contributions by members of the TCAA selection committee and others (Not for sale).
The PDF are available to view on the publications’ page.
All text of A Study of The Magic Mountain (For “Der Lindenbaum”) from her monograph is here.
Photo:TAKAHASHI Kenji
A call for applications is issued in July and August of fiscal 2018 and the list of applicants is sent to international selection committee with a request for nominations, including the applicants. Following discussion, the selection committee finalizes the list of nominated artists. Selection of two winners follows research on nominated artists, studio visits, and interviews.
International Selection Committee
KAMIYA Yukie (Gallery Director, Japan Society, New York)
SUMITOMO Fumihiko (Director, Arts Maebashi / Associate Professor, Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts)
Doryun CHONG (Deputy Director / Curatorial and Chief Curator, M+)
Maria LIND (Curator, Writer and Educator)
Carol Yinghua LU (Director, Beijing Inside-Out Art Museum)
KONDO Yuki (Program Director, Tokyo Arts and Space)
Selection Secretariat
Arts Initiative Tokyo [AIT]
Please access the Event Report to see the Award Ceremony and Symposium.