My work depicting the beauty of women is prohibited exhibit at Tokyo Midtown
hello. My name is AI T ERADA, a photographer. I'm taking pictures with the theme,”What is the "love”” because my name means “love” .
Officially selected by PRJ of "100 people 10"
This fall, I entered a contest called 100 people 10 (Hyakuninten). (Exhibition photos below)
As an overview of the contest
・The works of those who entered on the official Instagram will be released for a limited time → 100 people with the highest number of likes will be selected
・The selected works will be on 2022/11/8-11/15 to be exhibited at Tokyo Midtown
・The selected works will be also sold for a uniform price of 100,000 yen on the EC site.
Originally, I always use Instagram, so I took it as a well-known opportunity and exhibited my work. Thanks to everyone's likes, we were selected as one of the top 20% of the 632 entries. (Photo below, second line from the bottom)
I was overjoyed, but I received a consultation email from the management.
When I was overjoyed at the information about the future flow, I received another individual consultation email. Here's a screenshot of the gist of it.
It will be a legitimate art work and a selected work, but it cannot be exhibited due to "various circumstances"
By the way, after confirming every detail in advance to see if there were any rules or regulations in this contest, and if there was anything that would get in the way, the nipple part was transparent in the photo at the time of submission. When I posted it on Instagram, which is the selection site, I received a consultation from the management to remove the nipples, and I processed it. (That's the picture above.) So far, I've always struggled to post on my own account, so it was within the scope of my expectations. However, to have to give up on the exhibition itself...
When exhibiting in Midtown, "How about an exhibition with the nipples removed?" I consulted, but it were difficult, and as a result, I had no choice but to accept the story of exhibiting the following notes.
I guess the management and Midtown couldn't help it.
Honestly, it's so sorry. Privileges that were originally promised to those who were elected.
I wanted to exhibit my work in Midtown, which is a big, splendid, well-known place where many people, including inbound tourists, would visit. Because I was attracted to the privilege.
However, I felt kindness from the email from the management, they chose their words very carefully and responded politely to me, who was just one of selected people, and they did their best. I appreciate.
In addition, Midtown (=Mitsui holdings), as one of Japan's largest companies, must have nipped in the bud anything that might have caused problems.Whether or not this photo of mine is art is certainly not the point of contention. I think they had no choice. it just because it was even a little "dangerous". If you(reading this)’re warker at a major company, etc., and are constantly fighting the so-called "compliance", you may have been sympathetic to the management office and Midtown. hey.
What is Japan like?
My chagrin and unfocused fighting spirit are no longer aimed at those. It is for the whole "Japanese society".From the perspective of other people, no matter what happens to such an artist's fuckin work, there will be no problem, and art will have various approaches like the ocean. I know that much. I don't have to stick to this direction. However, under the Constitution's "freedom of expression," I put a lot of passion into this work.
By the way, neither the nipples nor the genitals are exposed in this photo.Still, if it seems to be a problem and shouldn't be exhibited, what about the trend in modern Japan itself? What are you holding back, what are you afraid of, what are you fighting against? this photo of me.
Will it hurt someone? Does it make you uncomfortable? Is it lust-provoking?
Of course,It's not completely impossible. But if you say that, even if it's a photo of a beautiful woman showing only the top of the neck, there is a possibility that it will encourage lust. Anything can conjure up sexual things. If so, won't all portraits and illustrations of people no longer be exhibited?
Do you think it is wrong to perceive the human form as beautiful?
"Even so, even if it's just a little bit, I'm trying to make people think of boobs. That's not good enough." I was told by someone that I talked about this.
What if it assume that...? Don't those of you who live today feel that the human body and breasts are beautiful? Is this feeling itself strange? (In this discussion, please put aside the fact that you have a fetish for hips.) There is no such reason. Newborn babies love boobs. Our DNA hasn't changed since the days of Venus de Milo and David. The round body of a soft woman and the muscular man. What is wrong with human beings when they think the human body is beautiful and try to celebrate and express that beauty?
As you pointed out, "Is it something that is not suitable for public places? Rather, I feel that it is a common theme for all humankind...
Of course
Perhaps I was banned from exhibiting because of something beyond my imagination. Also, I don't know if this photo is properly delivered to each person as I want it to be, or if it is established as an art. I also understand that no matter what kind of evaluation you receive, you should take everything for granted. Likes or dislikes, doesn't matter, doesn't feel anything.
Of course, art is a vague definition and a value that cannot be quantified. There is no reason for everyone to understand. My personal interpretation of "art" is "something that can give the recipient new perspectives, realizations, imagination, possibilities, and the future", but I don't know if this work is able to do that. Hmm. But the answer must first be seen by the public. The work cannot be taken on a trip. lol
So, you can't see this work, which was hit by such an trouble, at Tokyo Midtown,
Available for purchase below
After all, it's an advertisement! You might think that, but because it can't be exhibited, it's the creator's responsibility to make it known in some way, isn't it?
But,I'm too beginner to express myself, so I forgot to sign credit it... I'm also thinking that if I could ask the person who bought it directly and let me sign it. Even beyond the country. Lol please take care of yourself!
Thank you very much for reading this far.