Multiple layering by simultaneous multiple occurrence ~Multi Layered Surfaces~
It has been long since diversity is emphasized as an important aspect in contemporary society. Perhaps the degree of diversity in Japan has not yet been penetrated when compared with that in the world. Toronto, Canada is the world’s most advanced city in multiculturalism practiced in everyday life, even though it has the fourth largest population in North America. Represented by one of the world’s largest LGBT PRIDE parades and numerous cultural festivals from around the globe, the city is a rare example allowing co-existence in the mixture of gender, culture, religion, languages, etc. Multi Layered Surfaces is a project consists of concurrent exhibitions introducing Multi-Layered work (Surfaces) by mid-career artists who have been active and based in Toronto who are now internationally acclaimed, and in parallel, also artists from Japan and Singapore of their contemporaries. Works by these artists will draw the viewwers’ attentions to focus on the value of diversity in contemporary society and encourage them to contemplate and read beneath the surfaces, the meanings layered multiply in each work. The exhibitions also premiere some works in Tokyo.
A brain scientist Mr. Kenichiro Mogi said in his blog (January 31, 2017) as follows.
One of the important values in contemporary society is “diversity”. Our society does not function as a system and the robustness of society as a whole will not increase without people with various trends and qualities. A mono-culture of everyone being the same may have a sense of security, but there is no evolving nature. Destructive innovation can only happen by having members with various personalities in the group. That is why we need to be tolerant to “foreign” others.
On the other hand, “diversity” also includes problems. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),
Species that appear in new environments may fail to survive but often they thrive, and become invasive. In fact, native species are likely to be unprepared to defend themselves against the invaders. This process, together with habitat destruction, has been a major cause of extinction of native species throughout the world in the past few hundred years. Although in the past many of these losses have gone unrecorded, today, there is an increasing realisation of the ecological costs of biological invasion in terms of irretrievable loss of native biodiversity.
I believe that Japan should be more active in diversification attempts, to enrich its profound and rich history and culture. That, I believe, should happen by activities that are independent and diverse (Multi Layered) within a post-global society, thus by activities among artists emphasized by its continuity, in depth exchanges, and influencing to each other’s productions. Not by shallow (Surfaces)-like international exchanges based on some loose sightseeing-based inbound policy or by depending on globalism based on capital economy. Whether or not, “destructive innovation” or “serious influence” will occur, this exhibition casts a stone to cause a chemical reaction.
Daisuke Takeya (curator/artist of this project)
Participating artists:
Matthew Carver, Janieta Eyre, Dyan Marie, Alex McLeod, Sasha Pierce, Curtis Talwst Santiago, Jon Sasaki, Winnie Truong, Douglas Walker, Daisuke Takeya, Natsunosuke Mise, Masatake Kozaki, Sakura Koretsune, Yo Ishihara, Twardzik Ching Chor Leng, Vincent Twardzik Ching
コンセプト Concept
同時多発的による重層性 ～ Multi Layered Surfaces 展～
現代社会において多様性が重要視されるようになって久しい。日本における多様性は、世界のそれと比べた時、どれほど浸透していると言えるだろう。カナダのトロント市は、北米第４の規模でありながら、日常生活で実践される多文化主義では世界最先端都市であり、世界最大級のLGBTプライドパレードや世界中の文化を紹介する数多くのフェスティバルなどに代表される、人種、ジェンダー、文化、宗教、言語、などの混在が世界中でも類を見ない場所である。Multi Layered Surfaces 展は、そのトロントのアートシーンで活発に活動し、現在では国際的に活躍する中堅アーティストたちの秀逸で多様性/多層性を持った (Multi Layered) 作品群 (Surfaces) を、初めて日本に本格的に紹介する試みであり、また、彼らの表現と対比する形で、日本国内やシンガポールの同世代作家たちを紹介する展覧会を同時多発的に開催するものである。これらのアーティストたちによる作品は、いずれも、現代社会における多様性の価値に焦点を当て、鑑賞者にそれぞれの作品の奥にあるいくつもの意味を深く考え、読み取るよう促すだろう。展示には、東京での初公開作品も複数含まれる。
脳科学者の茂木健一郎氏の昨年1月31日のブログで次のような記述があった。
一方で「多様性」には、問題点も含まれている。世界自然保護基金（ World Wide Fund for Nature： WWF ）によると、
重厚な歴史文化が確立された国内の一般社会においても、多様化への試みはもう少し活発化しても良いのではないかと思われるのである。いわゆる観光ありきのインバウンド政策による表面的な (Surfaces) 国際交流ではなく、資本経済を基礎としたグローバリズムに依存するものではない、ポストグローバル社会におけるインデペンデントな多様性/多層性 (Multi Layered) を持った、すなわちアーティスト個人間の親交の深さやお互いの制作への影響や継続性を重視した活動によってもたらされると信じる。「破壊的なイノベーション」、或いは、「深刻な影響」といった化学反応が起こるのか、本展は一石を投じる。
武谷大介（本展キュレーター兼アーティスト）
参加アーティスト： マシュー・カーヴァー、ヤニータ・エア、ダイアン・マリー、アレックス・マクロード、サーシャ・ピアース、カーティス・トルウェスト・サンティアゴ、ジョン・ササキ、ウィニー・トゥロング、ダグラス・ウォーカー、武谷大介、三瀬夏之介、鴻崎正武、是恒さくら、石原葉、ツワージック・チン・チョー・レン、ヴィンセント・ツワージック・チン
Multiple layering by simultaneous multiple occurrence ~Multi Layered Surfaces~
It has been long since diversity is emphasized as an important aspect in contemporary society. Perhaps the degree of diversity in Japan has not yet been penetrated when compared with that in the world. Toronto, Canada is the world’s most advanced city in multiculturalism practiced in everyday life, even though it has the fourth largest population in North America. Represented by one of the world’s largest LGBT PRIDE parades and numerous cultural festivals from around the globe, the city is a rare example allowing co-existence in the mixture of gender, culture, religion, languages, etc. Multi Layered Surfaces is a project consists of concurrent exhibitions introducing Multi-Layered work (Surfaces) by mid-career artists who have been active and based in Toronto who are now internationally acclaimed, and in parallel, also artists from Japan and Singapore of their contemporaries. Works by these artists will draw the viewwers’ attentions to focus on the value of diversity in contemporary society and encourage them to contemplate and read beneath the surfaces, the meanings layered multiply in each work. The exhibitions also premiere some works in Tokyo.
A brain scientist Mr. Kenichiro Mogi said in his blog (January 31, 2017) as follows.
On the other hand, “diversity” also includes problems. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),
I believe that Japan should be more active in diversification attempts, to enrich its profound and rich history and culture. That, I believe, should happen by activities that are independent and diverse (Multi Layered) within a post-global society, thus by activities among artists emphasized by its continuity, in depth exchanges, and influencing to each other’s productions. Not by shallow (Surfaces)-like international exchanges based on some loose sightseeing-based inbound policy or by depending on globalism based on capital economy. Whether or not, “destructive innovation” or “serious influence” will occur, this exhibition casts a stone to cause a chemical reaction.
Daisuke Takeya (curator/artist of this project)
Participating artists:
Matthew Carver, Janieta Eyre, Dyan Marie, Alex McLeod, Sasha Pierce, Curtis Talwst Santiago, Jon Sasaki, Winnie Truong, Douglas Walker, Daisuke Takeya, Natsunosuke Mise, Masatake Kozaki, Sakura Koretsune, Yo Ishihara, Twardzik Ching Chor Leng, Vincent Twardzik Ching