I’m now going off on a tangent here: I often encounter those, especially in Japan, who look merely at the surface of the contemporary art market, which is in truth the vortex of such human greed, beauty, jealousy, and more, and criticize knowingly, “How dare they make quick, easy money?” I look at them and think, “How dare they so shamelessly judge without understanding anything?” Those who enjoying bashing on Twitter. Those in the manga industry who pretend to know something about the art world. Those commentators who, in saying, “Murakami isn’t actually valued in the U.S. at all. He’s a bastard who spreads lies,” are themselves responding to the needs of the Japanese by spreading the lie. Perhaps, as they say, the art market may be dirty and mired in greed, but these critics of mine are the same ones who revere the works from the past that had emerged through just such a market. I wish they would realize how they are immaturely flaunting their authoritarianism.

Anyhow, let me continue on why I would want to hold Anselm’s exhibition, both back then and now.

Take this question I’d asked Anselm; “Takashi told me that he greatly appreciates my work, which is why he also owns some pieces. But he said, unfortunately he does not quite understand what my work is about and asked if perhaps I could explain it to him.”

Well, well, Anselm. It wasn’t that I actually didn’t understand. I already knew, on an instinctive level. The appropriation… Your stance of facing off against capitalism… The integration of liberation from labor and the art history… But I wouldn’t have known what to do had these words come out of your mouth.

It was a trick question. And you hesitated and stammered. It was fine. It was good.

Because I had always thought that the most important thing about being an artist was to survive by instinctively recognizing the situation you were in and responding to it. So Anselm’s reaction of confusion helped me truly and deeply believe in him.

The heart in pursuit of a mirage and the futile effort to potentially embody the emptiness—these are our perpetual themes. That is why there lies the essence of humanity in such futile efforts. This might be akin to what incites the rise of religion.

The quest for the artistic truth is at the core of our work as artists. Anselm’s stance that enables him to keep experimenting with this quest in each new work and his fearless attitude of forging ahead greatly encourages me.

All the works he is going to exhibit at the Kaikai Kiki Gallery are brand new body of works created just for this show in Japan.

Emptiness, distrust, debris, and the indefatigable heart that brings them together—I truly want the aspiring young Japanese artists to feel the scale of Anselm’s work that binds the emptiness together and manages to make sense of it. This is why I made his show coincide squarely with GEISAI and invited Anselm to be one of the juries.

I truly encourage you to come see the show of Anselm Reyle’s brand new works. And see for your self the feat of strength that makes sense of our chaotic heart with the power of emptiness.
http://en.gallery-kaikaikiki.com/category/artists/a_reyle/

Anselm will be involved in three events during his visit to Japan.
1. His solo show.
2. A curated show by him.
3. GEISAI as a jury.

The curated show listed in 2. above, SPECTRA VISION Curated by Anselm Reyle, is a tour of the show we had in April at Hidari Zingaro Berlin.
http://en.hidarizingaroberlin.de/category/spectra-vision/

The five young artists are also visiting Japan for this occasion, and we drank all night together in Nakano last night. The curated show will take place in our three Zingaro spaces in Nakano Broadway, Hidari, Kaikai, and Oz.

The opening reception for Anselm’s solos show will be held at Kaikai Kiki Gallery in Motoazabu at 6 p.m. on September 21. All is welcome. I’d love to have you smart-ass art university students there, too. The next day, Anselm will participate in GEISAI#19 as one of the juries.
Also, on this occasion, we’ll open a bar within Nakano Broadway. FUGLEN , the new wave team that is shaking up the coffee industry, has produced the space. So much is happening, and I have been plotting all these for the past year, always with Anselm’s show as their axis. Please look forward to one of my star artists Anselm Reyle’s week in Tokyo!

See you at the exhibition of Anselm’s new works.

It will be great!

Takashi Murakami

Note: This message is based on Twitter messages in Japanese, compiled and edited for this blog.