The annual “The Vision of Contemporary Art (VOCA) Exhibition” held at the Ueno Royal Museum is considered a great opportunity for young artists to exhibit their work to a wide audience. This year’s VOCA 2020 was its 27th exhibition. So, exactly what is the VOCA Exhibition? We spoke to a veteran curator who has been organizing the event for more than 20 years, and asked what makes the VOCA exhibition so special, together with some pointers in order to thoroughly enjoy the exhibition.
Didn’t know that famous artist was part of the VOCA! The exhibition has discovered numerous new talents across the nation
Works for submission must be under 250cm x 400cm. There are many large size works.
The “VOCA Exhibition” which is seen as the gateway to success for young artists, began in 1994. This year, the VOCA 2020 Exhibition marked its 27thexhibition at The Ueno Royal Museum. True to its name — The Vision of Contemporary Art — the exhibition drew numerous works of art, ambitious and experimental, which provided a glimpse of the promising future for contemporary art.
The unique feature of the VOCA exhibition is the way the works are selected. Usually museum exhibitions are put together by curators who collect various pieces of art according to a particular theme. The VOCA exhibition introduces new work by young artists aged under 40, who have been nominated by 30 to 40 experts across the nation. The group of recommenders consists of museum curators, journalists and researchers. With the help of these “connoisseurs” with an eye for talent, the exhibition fulfils the role of discovering and shedding light on new artists who are yet unknown. Up until now, a total of 921 (including groups) of artists have exhibited their work at VOCA. The roll call includes impressive names like Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Mika Ninagawa and Miwa Yanagi, who all went on to become famous artists — which just goes to show that the “connoisseurs” tend to get it right.
Akemi Sakamoto, curator at The Ueno Royal Museum has been organizing the VOCA exhibition for more than 20 years. Sakamoto spoke about the special appeal of the VOCA. “One of the marked features of the exhibition is that we showcase a huge variety of young talent, owing to the fact that nominations come from all over the country. Some of the artists may be somewhat known. But the majority are artists who are yet to be discovered. It is the same for me. Every year, the exhibition gives me a precious opportunity to meet new artists”.
VOCA Exhibition catalogs, dating back to 1994Akemi Sakamoto, chief curator, The Ueno Royal Museum.
Enjoy the numerous forms of expressions and messages contained in a “flat surface”
The first VOCA exhibition took place in 1994. At the time,
there was much being said about three-dimensional art and new mediums like
installation art and video art. In terms of contemporary art, it was obvious
that paintings were being dismissed as an “obsolete” art form. Despite such
sentiment, the VOCA exhibition began by returning to the roots of art.
Submissions were limited to “flat work” with a thickness of 20 cm. The
exhibition helped turn the tide and bring back interest in paintings again. There
is another thing Sakamoto wants to point out. She wants viewers to take note of
how artists are challenging themselves to implement various modes of expression
within the limited boundaries of a “flat surface”.
“In the beginning, it was mostly paintings. But recently we are seeing video work that makes use of liquid crystal displays; we get a lot of three-dimensional art that clears the submission regulations. There is a wider range of expressions. At the same time, I feel we are seeing more work that reflect the times and carry social messages — that’s because we have a lot of young artists”.
Hanako Miyamoto’s work “White disappearing. –– Mein Tagebuch —” uses a flat panel display combined with photography.Mariko Tachihara uses a window screen as her canvas and paints scenes with a whiff of nostalgia, using embroidery. Top/from left “Itsukushima” “On the Way to Perfume Pagoda” “Landscape with the Utaki”
This year’s grand prix, the “VOCA Prize” was awarded to the artist duo Nerhol (Yoshihisa Tanaka and Ryuta Iida) for their work “Remove”. The work was created using a technique that involves treating layered photo printouts. It seems to embody what Sakamoto said about new modes of expression, with an inherent message that suggests the instability of modern society.
“Remove” by Nerhol, winner of the 2020 VOCA Prize *
“The work ‘Remove’ was made by layering some 150 printouts
of sequence photographs from a NASA video, and then carving it. The technique
is extremely interesting, but it’s not only that. You sense an atmosphere of
vague unrest, you see the distortion of space, which draws you in. I think it
is a powerful piece of work. The VOCA exhibition is where you get to see works
of budding artists who are ready to make a name for themselves. I hope you will
visit the exhibition, ready to enjoy new encounters with new talent”.
The VOCA exhibition is where talent from all over the country come together. Who will be discovered next year? Who will show up with a new piece of work that creates a stir in the world of contemporary art? Don’t miss it.
Hiroshi Kimura used to be a member of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force. His work shows T-shirts sporting shooting targets. “TYPE64 7.62×51mm NATO”Winner of the VOCA Encouragement Prize. Ri Jong Ok’s “Olympia 2020” is based on the 1936 Olympic Games held in BerlinDuring the VOCA Exhibition, the museum gift shop is filled with catalogs of exhibiting artists, art-themed picture books, stationery and books.
Text: Takahiro Okuda Photos: Fumitaka Miyoshi Photo marked * provided by The Ueno Royal Museum
