村上隆のインスタグラム(takashipom) - 2月12日 16時53分

Yoshitomo Nara’s solo exhibition opened at Kaikai Kiki Gallery this past Friday.
There were many twists and turns leading up to the opening and along the way, on several occasions, we almost had to cancel the show itself. In my thinking, this was due to the gap between how Nara deems things should be and all the undesirable experiences he has had to date, as well as to lack of dialogue aimed at bridging that gap. And so he and I repeatedly discussed (over a messaging app that is) his skepticism, ever-changing feelings, relationships, etc.; gradually accumulated moments of mutual understanding; and in the end were able to open the show.
The fact is that, for good or bad, an artist occupies a singular place in ordinary society. Because of this singularity, the viewer may experience a liberation of their soul when seeing his work or be irresistibly moved by the words or actions of the artist. Yet the artist himself only initially enjoys the warm acceptance; soon he starts to despair the gap between the whole point of his work and the reason the viewers accept his work—though of course he would just as quickly despair if it weren't accepted. This may seem like an emotional oscillation of a selfish person, but it’s a fact that an artist would find himself in the depths of such despair. It is precisely in search for salvation from this despair that an artist creates works.

At the opening on Friday, Nara ended up only staying in the gallery for a few minutes. He didn’t want to be the subject of the visitors’ cellphone photos. Having run away from the gallery, he sat in the waiting room, groaning at the floor.
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? @ikkiogata
English translation @tabi_the_fat

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