日本のトップアーティスト、素晴らしい西野達：想像力を広げる Japan’s Top Artist, Amazing NISHI Tatsu: Expanding Your Imagination

NISHI Tatsu (his real name: 西野達 NISHINO Tatsu), who likes to camouflage behind various alter-egos and identities (see his dyed blonde hair as a “Westerner”; ‘nishi’ 西 means “west”), eventually prefers to be renamed in various languages. 10 different names are being published on his website. Check:
https://www.tatzunishi.net

However my research found at least 14 alias-names, here’s my list:

– Nischi Tatzz
– Taturo Atzu
– Tatzu Nishi
– Tazu Rous
– Tatzu Oozu
– Tatsurou Bashi
– Tazro Nishino
– Tazro Niscino
– Tatsu Nishino
– Tatzu Nishino
– 大津達 (OZU Tatsu)
– 西野竜郎 (NISHINO Tatsuro)
– 西野達郎 (NISHINO Tatsuro)
– 西野 辰 (NISHINO Tatsu)

and several more, we might guess. *し°

1960 born Nishi, means he is my junior (後輩 Kouhai), studied at the Kunstakademie Münster (1989-1997) and calls Berlin his second home. I can speak with him in German language.

I do regard his artist practice being on the same level as art buddy Italian Maurizio Cattelan, means Nishi is, without doubt, one of the most famous and intriguing artists in Japan.

Internationally renowned for his brief art projects which revolutionise and transmute our contemporary art experiences of famous monuments, statues and architecture into a spiritual, metaphysical orbit, – while smoking a joint or sipping society gin.

Nishi succeeds in altering our perceptions, his mesmerising installations provide public and intimate access to elements within our urban environment.

Love and passionate artistic imagination will make you do crazy things. What if someone finds out?

Exactly that’s what Nishi’s practice is all about. It’s simply but fucking things up with the pure pleasure of fucking them up. It cun’t be true. Purposely purposeless.

With his first solo show in Japan “What if someone finds out?!” Nishi succeeded in becoming the talk of the town, the local art scene was impressed and delighted at his installations in the gallery ARATANIURANO, which later reorganised by becoming part of the new, larger gallery ANOMALY.

After a short Corona-related break, Nishi is BACK!

What is Japan? What is Tokyo?

Of course Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing with near-by Hachikō ハチ公 !

OMGodness!!! He did it again! BIG NEWS IN JAPAN!

The statue of Japan’s favourite dog, Hachikō, outside Shibuya Station in Tokyo had been unveiled to the public in a pop-up bedroom on the 12th of November 2023.
This unusual sight of Hachikō, the loyal dog known for waiting for his deceased master to return, attracted not only local people and its media crews but also a huge crowd of delighted foreign tourists.
This very unique, one-day-art installation by Nishi took place to mark the 100th anniversary of Hachikō’s birth. Hachikō, who is said to have been born in Akita Prefecture’s Odate city in November 1923, was taken in by a university professor, UENO Hidesaburo who was living in Shibuya. The dog won a place in the country’s heart for showing up at Shibuya Station every day for about 10 years awaiting its master’s return from work, even after Ueno’s death in 1925. Hachikō died in 1935.

Nishi, who came up with the idea already 10 years ago, spent about a year and a half completing this chef d’oeuvre with plenty of hidden allegories and remarkable art-related gestures.
Superb sculptural qualities, witty sabotage infiltration and disruptions elevate this body of work into the realms of connoisseurship and onto the universal level of magnum opus. Bravissimo!
One day, he would like to realise even a larger work called “Hachikō Hotel”! WOW! Yes, please!!

Because of my strong affinity for Genoa and Latin America, my favourite work by Nishi remains his “Discovering Columbus”, executed 2012 in mid-Manhattan. Truly a masterpiece of sophisticated elegance, refinement and genius-like madness.
Nishi’s first public art project in the United States opened up an opportunity to have a certain dialogue about the role of Christopher Columbus. Seriously or not seriously, depending on which side you are regarding contemporary art.

Said that, I have to admit, that Nishi’s artistic context had been aroused for a new twist in intellectual, mental exercises and/or cultural identity sensitivities. One of my preferred topics, also here in Japan, indeed.
Nishi’s public art project in New York City “Discovering Columbus” è un vero capolavoro! FANTASTICO!

When contemplating in front of, or inside Nishi’s gorgeous works, do you feel as excited like me, dear ART+CULTURE reader?
Making the impossible possible. Thinking and acting outside the gallery space.
In Nishi, we have an extremely exceptional artist from Japan who touches the souls of local residents across borders, stimulates discussion and, thanks to his lightness and buoyancy in the realisation of an art project, experiences tremendous popularity in the art world.
Extending one’s awareness for “strange things”, taking the opportunity in expanding the imagination.
I highly recommend to browse his and his gallery’s website. I am sure that amongst these extraordinary installations, you’ll discover a body of work which had been exhibited already “close” to your town!
Basel, R666
Mario A

Artist’s website
https://www.tatzunishi.net

Gallery’s website ANOMALY
Tatzu Nishi
http://anomalytokyo.com/en/artist/tatzu-nishi/