Dear K.,
So it is happening . Now we have in Tokyo new art-spot-to-must-visit: ESPACE LOUIS VUITTON Tokyo. Where? on 7th floor of Louis Vuitton Omotesando store. For this year there are planned three major exhibitions with possible smaller events happening in between. Last Friday, 14th January, all started with the opening of its first exhibition of renowned French artist Xavier Veilhan. We all know his amazing cubic-ish installations? sculptures? but definitely a BIG-ART with capital “B” and capital “A”- that`s for sure.
Mr Veilhan brought 4 pieces of his new work to Tokyo and especially for Tokyo – as I had a chance to have a quick chat with the artist I found out that the place to which he commissions his art takes an important part in his creative process /also as part of the inspiration/ – and I can absolutely relate to it, especially when I do my murals. Of course there are also some exhibitions of Mr Veilhan which travels, changing their locations – in this case I guess it is rather finding new connection between the piece and the new space. New value. New quality. And there is the significance of the colour of the objects which is for the reasons – as Mr Veilhan kindly explained it to me – no coincidence. And obviously it depends on the work. So at ESPACE LOUIS VUITTON Tokyo we have 4 pieces of his work: REGULATOR, TOKYO STATUE, FREE FALL, STABILE – perfectly landed on 7the floor of LV store and perfectly “match” with its surroundings – Tokyo landscape – especially when you view it during the day time!
Xavier Veilhan TOKYO STATUE, 2011
I read something really interesting what Mr Veilhan said that ” we look at the art work of the artist in a context over which the author has absolutely no control”, that ” it goes beyond artist control or personal judgment, but at the same time, it is an extension of this judgment and of this decision”. And this really made me think a lot. So we can talk about “uncontrolled extensions of our creations” – and this makes sense to me now as I`ve always thought the moment I finished my piece is the moment of its birth and our “departure” in the same time, when I don’t have absolutely no control over it any more, I mean how it will “live”, how it will be viewed. And I was surprised many times when people were giving me some feed back: surprised because I didn’t expected it at all /in a way it didn’t really matter to me to get it/ and because it was different to mine point of view when I was creating it. But then I need to admit that often there was this “uncontrolled” extension of me in people opinions about which before I was not really aware of, at least not so consciously.
anyway, the exhibition is till May 8th. will you be back by then? I so do hope so. I so do wish so.
Forever and Always
Yours,
p xxx
PS The little chat I had with Mt Veilhan was really inspirational. What else I could say bout him? one word:… CHARMING. I was far too shy to ask him to take a picture of him, so all images of Mr Veilhan I have thanks to courtesy Mari Saito of LV Press Office. I just need to say Big THANK YOU to Mari san. xxx