The 18th edition of Watari-Um's 'I Love Art' series explores the concept of self-camouflage. In an era when we are overloaded with so many things and ideas, Watari-um posits that art might be the perfect tool for the act of self-preservation that is camouflaging oneself.
Works by 11 artists pulled from the museum’s formidable collection, including Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, are combined with pieces from three Japanese guest artists – Rika Noguchi, Hiroshi Sugito and Hiraki Sawa – to form four sections that total around 80 thought-provoking exhibits.
'Camouflage into Everyday Life' features a 1986 self-portrait from Warhol, whose approach to 'camouflage' was expressed in his statement that his style of painting arose from his desire to be a machine. This section also includes works from Man Ray, who was a leading figure in Dada, Surrealism and the Avant-garde movement.
'Camouflage into Nature' then introduces natural world-related works from artists including Gary Hill, whose 'Leaves' is a dual-screen video installation displaying flickering images of a leaf overlaid with wordplay.
'Camouflage into Memory' next showcases one of Joseph Beuys’s most famed works, the self- descriptively titled ‘Felt Suit’. There's also an installation by Hiroshi Sugito that incorporates LED lighting and uncooked potatoes.
Finally, ‘Camouflage into Space’ presents pieces that take a myriad of approaches to the spatial dimension, from the likes of Donald Judd and Nam June Paik.
The exhibition is closed on Monday, except April 29 and May 6.
Text by Darren Gore