A lecture and exhibition of works was held at archi cafe Xebec, which is run by a group of Nagoya-based architecture students.
The following interview was recorded by the staff at that time.
(Full text quoted from FLAT.net)
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Q : How was it to exhibit in a cafe like this?
A : I tend to use ready-made works, so when I exhibit them in a white cube in a gallery or museum, they look like contemporary art. That doesn't really bring out the interesting sense of reality. That's why it was interesting to exhibit in a café like this, where it is difficult to recognize the work as art.
Q: I once had a customer who came to see your work stand behind it and ask me, “Where is your exhibition? and asked, “Where is the exhibit?
He was like, “Oh, yeah, I guess it's just a little bit of a giggle.
Q : You teach at an art university as well as a science university (architecture department).
Basically, what I am trying to convey is “let's question the values that we have up to now.” Compared to art students, who tend to adhere to their own aesthetic sense, architecture students are more innocent about art, so they tend to listen to me more honestly.
Q : Have you ever thought about becoming a designer?
A: Design is a field that requires a client, and I have stayed in art because it can be done without a client. For a while, I was commissioned to make decorative signboards, but that was easy and made a lot of money. I could make a sign in about a month and make several million yen. I think it's great, but when I do it, I start to think that it's silly to make art. The reality of money is very strong. But I think there is more value than that, even if it is a delusion, so I continue to make art even if I don't get paid for it.
Q : From your experience of staying and exhibiting in England, what are the differences between Japan and England in terms of art?
A : In the UK, even businessmen talk about art, and that's how they measure your “wealth.
In Europe and the U.S., the educational system encourages people to express their own opinions, and they ask a lot of questions about “why.
In the world of architecture and art, if you don't have a concept, it often becomes just a “game. Sorry to say this, but it is just “playing architecture” or “playing art. Think through the concept thoroughly and make up your own “why. It is important to have as many answers as possible. Of course, if you ask “why” to each of the answers, you will end up with a tremendous number of “reasons.
Japanese people are not good at debating. When you debate, you feel as if you are being denied your own personality. I think that is because Japanese people are not used to “thinking things through. Japanese people are not good at thinking, so it is hard for them to come up with original ideas. Compared to people overseas, we are very much inferior in this area. If you have many answers to “why,” you can give the most appropriate answer to “why.
Expressing yourself is, in essence, “communication,” so in order to “produce the closest thing” to what the other person is looking for, you need to have the “depth of mind” that is necessary. In order to create something that is uniquely you, you have to have a wide “pocket”.