とても好き、尊重している長島有里枝 @ 「I’m So Happy You Are Here」 NAGASHIMA Yurie — someone I deeply admire and respect @ "I’m So Happy You Are Here"
編集中、still in the process of writing and editing. Please check again in 1 week or so. Thank you.
Tokyo is so fucking hot and humid. In Bella Italia we say now, “il sole picchia” (‘the sun is beating down’).
I’m sitting in my air-conditioned Asagaya studio in front of the canvas, and the early official legacy is breathing down my neck: late art critic NAGOYA Satoru “Mario A, one of the most brilliantly gifted–or perhaps I should say, the single most brilliantly gifted––oil painting artist in Japan”.
The supreme art form (i.e. oil painting / klassische Königsdisziplin) tells me, “Mario, push 500-year-old oil painting practice one more step forward.”
On August 4th, the temperature in Tokyo finally dropped a bit, and the sky turned cloudy. For me, that meant getting out of my refreshing studio and heading to HIKARIE and SEKAIDO!
But before that, last month on the 30th, ‘something’ happened on Facebook.
Today is the 11th of August 2026. Over the past few days, I have been explaining here on ART＋CULTURE the contemporary Japanese political context regarding the atomic bombings of Hiroshima (6th of August) and Nagasaki (9th of August). With Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae, Japan has a “Nippon Feminist Fascist” at the helm. Defense Minister Koizumi is a right-wing radical intent on expanding the military forces and transforming Japan into a nuclear power. 31 years ago, I produced a 45-minute documentary for the German public TV broadcaster ZDF to mark the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. My photographs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki have been published worldwide, and my oil paintings on the theme of “JAPAN = ATOM” have appeared on the covers of art magazines.
Just a side note.
more @
皇紀2686年：にっぽんの核保有国への道。 (2)
Year 2686 of the Japanese Imperial Era: Japan’s Path to Becoming a Nuclear Power. (2)
https://art-culture.world/politics/japan-nuclear-power-2/
I now have the immensely thick aperture catalogue in front of me and must grapple with the concept behind this historically significant exhibition.
A 438-page A4 hardcover book, published in 2024, with the timely focus on “Arles – Les Rencontres de la Photographie.” It was/is sponsored by immensely rich (total revenue about 17 billion US$) French luxury goods holding company Kering, ergo right wing, conservative François Pinault (with his son François-Henri), whom I have introduced here several times, see the links and photograph together with HSH Prince Albert of Monaco and Farah Pahlavi, the last queen and empress of Iran. François Pinault owns the auction house Christie’s and is the secret patron of Japanese art worker MURAKAMI Takashi.
フランソワ・ピノーの三番目の刺激的な現代美術館、再建築 by 安藤忠雄
Exciting 3rd Contemporary Art Museum for François Pinault, rebuild by ANDO Tadao
https://art-culture.world/art-world/francois-pinault-art-museum/
現代美術コレクター、兼オークションハウス・クリスティーズ社長フランソワ・ピノー氏のコレクション展 in モナコ公国
Contemporary Art Collector, Christie’s Auction House Owner François Pinault Shows His Collection In The Principality of Monaco
https://art-culture.world/art-world/pinault-collection-ピノー・コレクション/
The exhibition and the catalogue are indeed a tour de force. I have the utmost respect for everyone involved.
The title of the exhibition in Arles was “I’m So Happy You Are Here – Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now.”
The Japanese title here at the Bunkamura Museum of Art (Hikarie Building in Shibuya) is 『まなざしの奇跡 日本女性写真家の冒険』 (*Manazashi no Kiseki: Nihon Josei Shashinka no Bōken*). The English translation could be: “The Miracle of the Gaze: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers.”
I hereby do strongly recommend this very unique, special exhibition!
Still running until the 26th of August.
「まなざしの奇跡 日本女性写真家の冒険」
I’m So Happy You Are Here: Japanese Women Photographers from the 1950s to Now
2026年7月4日(土)〜2026年8月26日(水)
10:00 〜 19:00、会期中無休
入場料：一般 2200円、U-30 1500円、高校生・中学生・小学生 1000円
〒150-0002 東京都渋谷区渋谷2-21-1 渋谷ヒカリエ9F
The official website of Bunkamura Museum of Art 日本語：
https://www.bunkamura.co.jp/museum/exhibition/26_kiseki/
English:
https://www.bunkamura.co.jp/museum/exhibition/26_kiseki/english.html
Yesterday, the curator of Bunkamura explained the exhibition in a 14 minutes video. Have a look.
https://www.instagram.com/reels/Dbz4VyJTmb_/
The Bunkamura Museum of Art
渋谷の美術館【Bunkamura ザ・ミュージアム】公式アカウント
https://www.instagram.com/bunkamura_the_museum/
https://x.com/BunkamuraMuseum
＼8/12トークイベント情報／
【まなざしの奇跡 日本女性写真家の冒険】8/26(水)まで！
ジェンダーの問題や歴史における女性アーティストの認知をめぐる研究、交流、議論を促進することを目指す非営利団体「AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research & Exhibitions」によるトークイベントを開催！
▶AWARE（アウェア）ラウンドテーブル
「未来の刻印」― 日本の女性アーティストのいままでとこれから
竹内万里子(本展キュレーター)×笠原美智子(長野県立美術館長)×天田万里奈(AWARE日本代表)
📅 8月12日（水）
🕐17:00～18:30（受付16:30～）※要予約
📍ヒカリエホール『まなざしの奇跡』展 特設会場
※本イベントの参加には展覧会チケットのご提示が必要となります。
Peatixにてお申込み可能です。
詳細は展覧会HP「イベント」ページをご確認ください。
＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿＿
「まなざしの奇跡 日本女性写真家の冒険」
📅7/4（土）～ 8/26（水） ※会期中無休
🕐10:00 ～ 19:00（最終入場 18:30）
📍ヒカリエホール(渋谷ヒカリエ11F)
✅詳細はプロフィールTOPの展覧会HPから
#まなざしの奇跡展 #日本女性写真家の冒険 #Bunkamuraザミュージアム #ヒカリエホール #ImSoHappyYouAreHere
https://www.instagram.com/p/DbhqrobGErj/
Quote from the exhibition’s website:
About the Exhibition I’m So Happy You Are Here
‘I’m So Happy You Are Here’ opened in the summer of 2024 at Les Rencontres de la photographie d’Arles, in conjunction with the publication of the 440-page volume of the same title (Aperture, with a French edition from Editions Textuel) and organized by Aperture. This first edition of the exhibition was co-curated by the book’s co-editors, Martin and Vermare, together with contributing author Takeuchi. The exhibition then traveled to The Hague (January-May 2025) and Frankfurt (May-September 2025), and is scheduled to continue to London (June-September 2026) and New York (October 2026-January 2027), among other venues. The Japan edition is an expanded special version of this international touring exhibition, opening almost concurrently with the London edition at The Photographers’ Gallery.
https://www.bunkamura.co.jp/museum/exhibition/26_kiseki/english.html
展覧会「I’m So Happy You Are Here」とは
大型書籍『I’m So Happy You Are Here』（全440頁、Aperture刊・仏語版Editions Textuel刊）の刊行に合わせて、本書の共同編纂者であるポリーヌ・ヴェルマール（ブルックリン美術館写真キュレーター）、レスリー・A・マーティン（Printed Matter エグゼクティブ・ディレクター）、さらに本書寄稿者である竹内万里子の3名による共同キュレーションにより2024年夏、アルル国際写真祭にて開催された展覧会。その後、ハーグ（2025年1月〜5月）、フランクフルト（2025年5月〜9月）を経て、さらにロンドン（2026年6月〜9月）、ニューヨーク（2026年10月〜2027年1月）他へ巡回予定。今回の日本展は、この欧米巡回展を拡大させた特別バージョンであり、またロンドンのThe Photographers’ Galleryとほぼ同時開催となる。
https://www.bunkamura.co.jp/museum/exhibition/26_kiseki/
The idea for this project was conceived by Pauline Vermare, Curator and Magnum Cultural Director, U.S.A. The curatorial team, as explained in Japanese, consists of TAKEUCHI Mariko, Pauline Vermare, and Leslie A. Martin.
Lesley Martin & Pauline Vermare accept the Photobook of the Year Award at the 2025 CPW Vision Awards
The Center for Photography at Woodstock
Women photographers like Miyako Ishiuchi, Toyoko Tokiwa, and Rinko Kawauchi transformed postwar Japanese photography but were often overshadowed by their male counterparts. This important new publication, “I’m So Happy You Are Here” (Aperture), presents a challenge to historical precedents and the established canon of Japanese photography by providing a comprehensive overview of the contributions of Japanese women to photography. Editors Pauline Vermare and Lesley A. Martin have compiled a critical framework for understanding the historical and contemporary photography work. In addition to three richly illustrated essays, the book contains 25 detailed portfolios, an in-depth illustrated bibliography, and a selection of key critical writings from leading Japanese critics, many published in translation for the first time. This book is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in a revisionist history of Japanese photography.
Vermare’s IG account is not public, so I can’t see any developments from the past.
https://www.instagram.com/paulinevermare/
A long interview from 2021 with Pauline Vermare, published in Japanese and English might help.
https://www.benrido.co.jp/haribanaward/interview-2021-juror-pauline-vermare/
竹内万里子 TAKEUCHI Mariko IG account
https://www.instagram.com/marikotakeuchi_/
Interview about this exhibition:
日本写真史を書き換える30のまなざし──「まなざしの奇跡 日本女性写真家の冒険」（ヒカリエホール）キュレーター、竹内万里子インタビュー
アルル国際写真フェスティバルを皮切りに14万人を動員した大規模世界巡回展が、拡大して待望の日本上陸。東京・渋谷のヒカリエホール（渋谷ヒカリエ9F）で7月4日～8月26日開催
https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/articles/-/japanese-women-photographers-interview-202604
Today is August 13th. Yesterday, “my esteemed correspondent” Satomi Nakai from New York wrote a touching obituary for the young Francisco Correa Cordero, founder of the LUBOV Gallery. Please read it and reflect on it philosophically. In two days, a ‘celebration of life and mourning’ for Francisco will take place in New York.
Satomi Nakai from New York: In Memory of Francisco Correa Cordero, the founder of LUBOV Gallery
中井里美のニューヨークアート通信：追悼 — フランシスコ・コレア・コルデロ (LUBOV ギャラリー創設者)
https://art-culture.world/art-world/nakai-francisco-correa-cordero-lubov-gallery/
As I am respected as an authority on Japanese photography, I found it relatively easy to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the text “I’m So Happy You Are Here” (pages 10-36) by curator Pauline Vermare. Sugimoto, Araki, Moriyama (plus a short reference of TOMATSU Shomei 東松照明) are cited as the dominant representatives of Japanese male photographers—which is, of course, a joke. Furthermore, I am bothered by the fact that only the USA, France, and Japan were used as reference points regarding the reception of Japanese photography and its history; a serious error for a curator. All that said, while it is not a scholarly text, it serves as a good introduction. Mentioning YOSHIMOTO Banana 吉本ばなな,
TAWARA Machi 俵万智, KAWAKAMI Mieko 川上未映子, SUZUKI Izumi 鈴木いづみ, MURATA Sayaka 村田沙耶香 but ignoring hugely influential TAWADA Yoko 多和田葉子, ITO Hiromi 伊藤比呂美, TOMIOKA Taeko 富岡多恵子, ASAKURA Setsu 朝倉摂, KISARAGI Koharu 如月小春, ISHIMURE Michiko 石牟礼道子, KOMASHAKU Kimi 駒尺喜美, TAJIMA Yoko 田嶋陽子, SAWACHI Hisae 澤地久枝, IKEDA Kayoko 池田香代子, UCHIDA Shungiku 内田春菊, TANAKA Yuko 田中優子 and NAKAGAMI Nori 中上紀 demonstrates her gaps in knowledge, poor research, and not well informed advisors.
It is a shame that the legendary collaboration and friendship of Nan Goldin and Araki did not find a prominent place in her text. Since I know Kaori and Araki very well, I feel compelled to reiterate my opinion here.
First, the quote from the book, page 12: …Kaori, a former model of his, accused him of exploiting her, stating, “He treated me like an object.”
My quote from 2018, taken from:
世界で一番の日本美術家 天才荒木経惟！ (1)
World’s No.1 Japanese Artist ‘Genius’ Nobuyoshi Araki! (1)
https://art-culture.world/reviews/worlds-no-1-japanese-artist-genius-nobuyoshi-araki-1/
Actual endorsement from today, 2018/5/7:
As I consider myself a feminist, having lived in West-Berlin (’80- ) in a feminist environment, I am hereby endorsing the movement #metoo.
However, I am actually carefully watching the public reactions regarding former Araki’s model Kaori’s statement. 2 days ago, an article about Kaori had been published in the Asian issue of the International Edition of the New York Times. May I emphasize, that the article explains, Kaori had not been sexually harassed by Araki. Kaori said also, that in the first years, she and Araki were having sex together.
The art world doesn’t need advices from so-called moralists. Art, really great art, has nothing to do with the narrow crucible of politically correct ideas. We don’t know exactly what was going on between both, Kaori (40?) and Araki (77) in those 16 years.
Every one is free to separate, leave a relationship (of love?). If you feel mistreated, part as quick as possible. Separate after 1 year. Or after the 2nd. Or after the 5th.
If one partner leaves, the other person feels hurt. Of course, wrong words, illness, detachment, lack of love, affection and tenderness make a relationship impossible.
May I just point out to some quotes from the New York Times, because they didn’t appear in the original text by Kaori.
“She said he paid her 100,000 yen (about $930) to pose in the studio wearing a kimono or performing dances that Mr. Araki would photograph. For nude projects, he took her to so-called “love hotels” and paid her about 50,000 yen for each assignment.”
…
“Kaori, who began posing for Mr. Araki, now 77, in her early 20s, has not accused him of sexual assault.”
…
“Early on, the two did have a consensual sexual relationship, Kaori said.””
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/world/asia/nobuyoshi-araki-photographer-model.html
(End of my quote.)
15th of August, 6 a.m.
Today is a very special day in Japan. While Europe had already celebrated the end of the war (Germany’s surrender / Hitler’s suicide) on May 8th, the order was issued in Japan to continue fighting and killing for the Japanese Emperor.
Check:
日独伊三国同盟：1945年5月8日、欧米全土が祝賀ムードに包まれていたにもかかわらず、にっぽん人は「天皇のために殺せ！」と叫び続けた
Tripartite Pact between Japan, Germany, and Italy: On May 8, 1945, while the entire Western world was enveloped in a celebratory mood, the Japanese continued to shout, “Kill for the TENNO!”
https://art-culture.world/politics/kill-for-the-tenno/
In Japan, there is a debate over what this day—August 15th—should be called.
Check:
「Victory over Japan Day」 「対日戦勝記念日」 「終戦の日」：どちらが正しい？ 石破首相 千鳥ヶ淵戦没者墓苑で献花 対 高市早苗 元内閣府特命担当大臣 (クールジャパン戦略) 靖国神社に参拝「日本人として当たり前」
Yasukuni Shrine 靖国神社 vs. 対 千鳥ヶ淵戦没者墓苑 Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery
https://art-culture.world/politics/chidorigafuchi-national-cemetery/
“Victory over Japan Day” is observed in Japan as the “Day of Commemoration for the War Dead and Prayer for Peace” 全国戦没者追悼式. It marks the radio address in which Emperor Shōwa 昭和天皇 announced Japan’s surrender in 1945. Far-right politicians visit the ultra nationalistic Yasukuni Shrine 靖国神社; in June of this year, ABE Akie 安倍昭恵, widow of assassinated PM ABE Shinzo 安倍晋三 (who was TAKAICHI Sanae’s protégé), has assumed the position of the fourth president of the Yasukuni Shrine Supporters’ Association（靖国神社崇敬奉賛会会長を巡り、第4代会長に安倍昭恵が就任）.
Check:
「戦前の今」 (2) 。神道 (天皇のために殺せ！) の靖国神社崇敬奉賛会会長 安倍昭恵や高市早苗首相 (日本人として当たり前) ： 靖国神社参拝をしましょう！
“Pre-war era” (2). SHINTO (Kill for the TENNO!) Yasukuni Shrine Reverence and Support Association Chairperson ABE Akie and Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae (“As a Japanese person, it’s only natural”): Let’s visit and pray at the Yasukuni Shrine!
https://art-culture.world/jp-society/japan-war-shinto-tenno/
Prime Minister Takaichi describes it as the duty of every Japanese person to pray at the Yasukuni Shrine—especially on this day of commemoration. To illustrate the ultra-nationalist character of Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae, I list the following extreme right-wing associations and interest groups acting as lobbyists:
1. Diet Members’ Discussion Group of Nippon Kaigi
Sanae Takaichi has been noted for her close ties—in terms of ideology and policy—to the “Diet Members’ Discussion Group of Nippon Kaigi” (a parliamentary group associated with the conservative civic organization Nippon Kaigi), having previously served in leadership roles such as vice-chairperson.
日本会議国会議員懇談会
高市早苗は、保守系民間団体である日本会議の国会議員版組織「日本会議国会議員懇談会」において、過去に副会長などの役員を歴任するなど、思想・政策面で密接な関係にあると指摘されてきました。
2. Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership Diet Members’ Consultative Council
Sanae Takaichi serves as a key member—including as vice-chair—of the Shinto Association of Spiritual Leadership Diet Members’ Consultative Council, a supra-partisan parliamentary league closely linked to the Association of Shinto Shrines; she deeply resonates with the conservative principles and policy stances championed by the group, which emphasize tradition and history.
神道政治連盟国会議員懇談会
高市早苗は、神社本庁と密接に関連する超党派の議員連盟「神道政治連盟国会議員懇談会」の主要メンバー（副会長など）を務めており、同団体が掲げる伝統や歴史を重視する保守的な理念や政策スタンスと深く共鳴する関係にあります。
3. Association of Diet Members Visiting Yasukuni Shrine Together
As a member of the supra-partisan parliamentary league “Association of Diet Members Visiting Yasukuni Shrine Together,” Sanae Takaichi has participated in group visits to the shrine alongside the league on occasions such as the anniversary of the end of the war and the shrine’s annual festivals, and has also conducted individual visits and signed the visitor’s register.
みんなで靖国神社に参拝する国会議員の会
高市早苗は、超党派の議員連盟「みんなで靖国神社に参拝する国会議員の会」のメンバーとして、終戦記念日や例大祭の際に同議連とともに行う集団参拝や、個別の参拝・記帳を行ってきた関係にあります。
As every year, China and Korea will issue an official note of protest today.
「日本人として当たり前」”As a Japanese, it’s a matter of course”
https://art-culture.world/politics/as-a-japanese-its-a-matter-of-course/
The day before yesterday, August 13, Prime Minister Takaichi lodged a strong protest against Putin’s high-profile visit to the island of Etorofu, north of Hokkaido. As is evident, World War II has not yet come to an end, even in 2026.
Check:
日ソ戦争はまだ戦争中、、、 The Soviet-Japanese War is still ongoing…
https://art-culture.world/politics/soviet-japanese-war/
The book’s second text stands out positively from the first. Written in a fluid and eloquent style — and aptly titled “The Women Who Built Worlds with Their Cameras” (pages 37–54) — it earns my praise for the two specialists involved, Carrie Cushman and Kelly Midori McCormick. I particularly enjoyed their concise analyses of ISHIKAWA Mao 石川真生 and TOKIWA Toyoko 常盤とよ子.
I would now like to turn to the photographs from the exhibition that interest me …, which were taken around midday on Tuesday, August 4, 2026. Taking close-up pictures was forbidden.
See also:
ワンピース倶楽部展 VOL. 11「はじめてかもしれない」
One Piece Club – Art Collection Exhibition Vol.11 (2018)
https://art-culture.world/reviews/one-piece-club-art-collection-exhibition/
アートフェア東京のハイライツ：田中武、片山真理、風間天心、磯谷博史、平子雄一、猪熊弦一郎、イケムラレイコ、Roger Ballen、Christian Boltanski
ART FAIR TOKYO Highlights: TANAKA Takeshi, KATAYAMA Mari, KAZAMA Tengshing, ISOYA Hirofumi, HIRAKO Yuichi, INOKUMA Genichiro, IKEMURA Leiko, Roger Ballen, Christian Boltanski
https://art-culture.world/reviews/art-fair-tokyo-highlights-tanaka-takeshi-katayama-mari-kazama-tengshing-isoya-hirofumi-hirako-yuichi-inokuma-genichiro-ikemura-leiko-roger-ballen-christian-boltanski/
See also:
アメージング澤田知子個展「影法師」@ MEM
SAWADA Tomoko’s amazing “Kagebōshi” exhibition @ MEM
https://art-culture.world/reviews/sawada-tomoko-amazing-kageboshi-exhibition-mem/
See also:
ソーシャリー・エンゲイジド、優れたアーティスト長島有里枝：母性・文学・盲目、、、写る可能性と不可能 @ 横浜市民ギャラリーあざみ野 & ちひろ美術館
Socially Engaged, Excellent Artist NAGASHIMA Yurie: Motherhood – Literature – Blindness… Possible and Impossible Photography @ Yokohama Civic Art Gallery – Azamino & Chihiro Art Museum
https://art-culture.world/reviews/nagashima-yurie-excellent-artist/
現代美術のスター 長島有里枝 @ MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY
Contemporary Art Star NAGASHIMA Yurie @ MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY
https://art-culture.world/reviews/contemporary-art-star-nagashima-yurie-長島有里枝/
Reference:
もはやない国のかつてない光
東ドイツの女性写真家たち
Unprecedented: Women Photographers from the GDR
2026/6/13 – 8/30
神奈川県立近代美術館 葉山 The Museum of Modern Art, Hayama
https://www.moma.pref.kanagawa.jp/exhibition/2026-unprecedented-women-photographers-from-the-gdr/
Today is August 16th, 2026.
Yesterday: LOT 79.
No, not an art auction, but the arrival of the Polish airline flight from Warsaw.
As expected, right-wing extremists gathered at the Yasukuni Shrine yesterday, led by the nationalist, chauvinistic Defense Minister Koizumi.
Yasukuni shrine was a central institution of State Shinto, which supported Japan’s militarism before and during the war, and it played a role in mobilizing the public for war. Class-A war criminals who led the war and were convicted by the International Military Tribunal for the Far East, or the Tokyo Trials, were collectively enshrined at the shrine in 1978.
In 1974, the administrative vice defense minister issued a directive stating that unit visits to religious facilities and similar acts “should be strictly avoided.” However, in April this year (2026), a Shinto-style memorial ceremony was held at the GSDF’s Camp Kusu in Oita Prefecture, with several hundred personnel, including senior officers, attending.
駐屯地で神式の式典、陸自隊員数百人が参加 識者「政教分離に抵触」2026年6月12日
https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASV6D3QQSV6DTPJB001M.html
陸自駐屯地で神式慰霊行事 「政教分離に留意」通達に抵触の懸念 2026/6/12
https://mainichi.jp/articles/20260611/k00/00m/040/310000c
Under the Takaichi administration, moves suggestive of a return to prewar practices have also stood out. The coalition agreement signed between the LDP and Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party) included reviving state-run arsenals that were directly controlled by the former military and produced weapons. There are also calls for restoring titles used by the former military for SDF ranks.
I was shocked when a photo taken at the Yasukuni Shrine eleven years ago reappeared on David McNeill’s Facebook timeline.
The joy of reunion at Narita Airport. Like other Japanese people, she could take only a typically short Japanese summer vacation. For this very personal decision, her chosen holiday destination was Auschwitz.
小泉防衛大臣、靖国神社を参拝
これでいい。粛々とやればいい。
うるせえ隣国に物怖じしない防衛大臣、かっこええぞ
Defense Minister Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine
This is fine. Just carry it out solemnly.
A Defense Minister who doesn’t flinch at the noisy neighbouring country — that’s badass.
https://x.com/sxzBST/status/2088427649270214992
Today’s readers of ART + CULTURE are witnessing a live case study in which the genre of photography shifts from the personal to the intensely political.
No staging, no artificial intelligence—just pure, unfiltered, straight photography.
A word of caution, however: *not* photographing a situation can also serve as a message—take, for instance, Nagashima’s personal experience when she alone, as a (!!) 20-year-old Japanese woman, visited Auschwitz.
Let me quote my sentences from 14th of November 2020:
“Besides the above mentioned epic artwork, one more reason why I regard Nagashima as one of the most important artists in Japan is her ability in discussing her background with others, and being able to contextualize her behavior and reaction also in a foreign language. Because of Japan’s ‘island country mentality’ (shimaguni-konjo 島国根性), most Japanese have a parochial view which makes a forth-bringing discourse obsolete. Trying to develop herself as a mature person, Nagashima travelled as a backpacker outside of her native country, in this sense trying to change the precarious situation she was living in.
One of the most crucial moments can be read from her dairy ‘Thousand-person-stitches’ (Sennin-bari diary), in which she explained how she had to stop taking pictures while visiting the (Japan-Germany-Italy Axis) related Nazi German Concentration Camp in Auschwitz. This happened in her youth, and I sincerely wish more young Japanese wanna-be-artists would have this important experience and adult conscience.”
From:
現代美術のスター 長島有里枝 @ MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY
Contemporary Art Star NAGASHIMA Yurie @ MAHO KUBOTA GALLERY
https://art-culture.world/reviews/contemporary-art-star-nagashima-yurie-長島有里枝/
Today is August 21st, 2026.
Unlimited Potential
ISHIUCHI Miyako is enthusiastically promoting the “Unprecedented: Women Photographers from the GDR” exhibition (2026/6/13 – 8/30) in The Museum of Modern Art, Hayama.
Today is August 24th, 2026.
Today’s readers of ART + CULTURE noticed that yesterday I wrote about War Criminal Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, who killed his partner Madeleine in 1936. I laid flowers on her grave and cried a lot.
右：新宿区高田馬場4-22-7。関東軍軍医部長（大正14年〜）の中村緑野宅でした。藤田嗣治の義弟。この地は、藤田嗣治が昭和8年〜昭和11年暮らしたアトリエ付住居の跡である。マドレーヌを死なせた、いわゆる、殺された家。
Left: FOUJITA Tsugu-Akira, Surgeon General of the Imperial Japanese Army. From 1912 Director of the Government-General of Korea Hospital.
Right: Actual address: Tokyo, Shinjuku, Takadanobaba 4-22-7. Former house of NAKAMURA Rokuya, from 1925 Chief Medical Officer of the Kwantung Army. Brother-in-law of FOUJITA Tsuguharu. Location of the residence—complete with an atelier—where Foujita lived from 1933 to 1936. The house where Madeleine died—or rather, was killed.
皇紀2686年：我が国の戦争犯罪人レオナール・嗣治・フジタはマドレーヌを死なせた、いわゆる、殺された。彼女の生誕120周年記念日の今日。
Imperial Year 2686: Our nation’s ‘war criminal,’ Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita, caused Madeleine’s death—or rather, killed her. Today marks the 120th anniversary of her birth.
https://art-culture.world/art-world/foujita-tsuguharu-leonard-war-criminal-madeleine/
Today is August 25th, 2026.
In the meantime I interestingly read a review about 「まなざしの奇跡 日本女性写真家の冒険」(The Miracle of the Gaze: The Adventures of Japanese Women Photographers) in the actual literature magazine “Bungakukai” 文學界, written by filmmaker/author NAKAMURA Yuko 中村佑子, titled “Reality is delicate.”
May you allow me to post two sequences:
After Nakamura’s review followed the “Dialogue: ISHIUCHI Miyako × TAKEUCHI Mariko — ‘Photographing a Way of Life’”. The photo historic aspect of this very important interview/dialogue allows me hereby to publish some parts for my estimated (Japanese) ART+CULTURE readers.
Today is August 28th, 2026.
KUSAMA Yayoi is dead. Worldwide news coverage.
I was quoted several times in an article about KUSAMA Yayoi that appeared in almost all German newspapers yesterday and today.
Here is an example from yesterday’s *Tagesspiegel* in Berlin.
昨日、本日、ドイツのほぼすべての新聞に掲載された草間彌生に関する記事の中で、私のコメントが何度か引用されました。
こちらは、ベルリンの『ターゲスシュピーゲル』紙に掲載された記事の一例です。
「性の革命」の時代、彼女は政治的意図を込めたパフォーマンスを通じて、ニューヨークのアートシーンにおいてアンディ・ウォーホル以上の名声を博すに至った。
During the era of the “sexual revolution,” she achieved greater renown in the New York art scene than Andy Warhol through performances imbued with political intent.
Full text:
Weltberühmte Künstlerin aus Japan: Yayoi Kusama im Alter von 97 Jahren gestorben
https://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/weltberuhmte-kunstlerin-aus-japanyayoi-kusama-im-alter-von-97-jahren-gestorben-15986220.html
In the context of Japanese photography history, I shall remind the readers what important role Araki played for Kusama. They were well known, close friends; Kusama loved Araki.
私 (亜 真里男) と草間彌生、長い芸術の旅、アンプラグド
I (Mario A) and KUSAMA Yayoi, a long artistic journey, unplugged
https://art-culture.world/reviews/mario-a-kusama-yayoi-草間彌生-亜真里男/
Today is August 29th, 2026.
Today starts “wild”, colourful “Kōenji Awa Odori” 高円寺阿波おどり, nearby my home. I will share later some pics with you.
Checking X, right-wing party ‘Sanseito’ propaganda machine in full swing.
Yesterday, Nara-kun received a message from me.
もう限界！うるっせぇ、傲慢、インポ粗チン、口臭く、奈良美智 FUCK YOU! くたばれ！
I’ve had enough! Shut up, you arrogant, impotent, small-dicked, stinking-breathed—Yoshitomo Nara, FUCK YOU! Drop dead!
https://art-culture.world/art-world/yoshitomo-nara-arrogant-impotent-small-dicked-stinking-breathed/
Today, curator and writer Keith Whittle’s superbly written review about Ron Mueck’s solo show at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo can be deeply appreciated here on ART + CULTURE. All for free. See the link.
8:31 AM · Aug 29, 2026·3,355 Views
https://x.com/SAMURAIVoice/status/2093481576181199076
Keith Whittle from Tokyo: “Memento Mori: Is Realism Itself a Conceptual Strategy?”
ロン・ミュエク @ 森美術館、東京
https://art-culture.world/reviews/whittle-ron-mueck-mori-art-museum/
Today is August 31st, 2026.
Tokyo stinks. It is not just today; it has been that way ever since I first entered Japan in the Imperial Year 2642. Now it is the year 2686, yet Tokyo still reeks of sewage.
東京は臭い。今日だけじゃなく、皇紀2642年に初めて日本に入国して以来ずっとそうです。2686年になったが、東京は相変わらず下水臭い。
As a taxpayer, I vented my frustration today. 納税者として、今日、私は鬱憤を晴らしました。
東京は臭い！東京は貧乏臭い。自民党ヤクザのせい。
Tokyo stinks! Tokyo looks shabby. It’s the fault of the LDP YAKUZA.
https://art-culture.world/jp-society/tokyo-stinks/
Today is September 1st, 2026.
Now comes the “highlight” of this exhibition, as I am looking forward to TAKEUCHI Mariko’s essay with great curiosity and high expectations.
A respected authority in the world of Japanese photography, she pours all her energy, intellect and enthusiasm into her pioneering, successful exhibition projects. More than 30 years ago or so, we exchanged business cards, after which our paths scarcely crossed again; partly because she became a well known professor in the city of Kyoto.
Takeuchi demonstrates her love and admiration towards photography again and again; she also shouldered an immense amount of responsibility for this current mammoth, historical exhibition. For this, she deserves the highest praise and respect. One’s body of thought (Gedankengut) always reflects one’s own cultural origins and the process of discovering one’s personal identity. Takeuchi proceeds with a joyful, spirited and engaging vigour that fears neither risk nor daring combinations. Her activism, in the context of the contemporary Japanese society, is more than worthy of praise and respect. Bravissima!
The text of her essay begins with a combative title: “Dissident Women.”
The reader is immediately jolted to attention. I find Takeuchi’s opening sections on page 55 (“let’s go!”) so well articulated that I would like to quote that passage here.
“To be a woman in Japan is to live with constant conflict. In a country where attitudes toward gender remain extremely conservative, simply being a woman exposes one to many forms of prejudice and discrimination. Japan ranks 125th out of 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index as of 2023, and it continues to languish at the bottom. This disparity is reflected in women’s limited opportunities for success in the world of photography.
To note a few examples: I was once “advised” by a famous male photographer, who also happened to be the principal of a photography scholl, to marry a rich man if I wanted to become a photographer. This was in 1995, approximately ten years after the enactment of the Equal Employment Opportunity Law, which aimed to provide equal opportunities and treatment in the workplace regardless of gender and opened doors for more women. Between 1997 and 1999, the forty-volume book series Nihon no shashinka (Japanese photographer) was published by Iwanami Shoten. Widely regarded as the primary reference on the history of Japanese photography, it focused only on male photographers. Moreover, in the first twenty-five years of the Kimura Ihei Award, one of Japan’s most prestigious photography awards, only three recipients were women, until 2000 when Nagashima Yurie, Ninagawa Mika, and Hiromix were asked to share the award.
We must remember that these are the kind of facts and experiences that have shaped the women in this book. They are survivors. At the same time, their exclusion from mainstream photography is precisely what has allowed them to observe things from a distance. Ironically, this exclusion may have been a result of their experimental approaches, which challenge the established values of photography and the nature of the medium itself.
For better or worse, pioneering women artists such as Yamazawa Eiko, Ishiuchi Miyako, and Ishikawa Mao stubbornly forged their own paths alone, distinguishing themselves from the artistic trends of their time. That widespread recognition of their work has been so delayed can be explained only by the overwhelmingly homosocial, male-dominated world of Japanese photography in which they emerged, one that relegated women photographers to an inferior position. In Ishikawa’s case, this was further complicated by the political and historical relationships between Okinawa and Japan, and the legacies of the American occupation – as well as the social commentary inherent to her work on the topic.”
(end of this quote.)
Today is September 3rd, 2026.
As in any country, foreigners in Japan face discrimination. I have experienced this firsthand over the past 40 years. Minister ONODA Kimi 小野田紀美 is actually destroying our lives here in Japan. A segment of the foreign community has now spoken out against Onoda. I commented with fierce resentment and provocation rage. On purpose in dirty American rapper and hip-hop slang.
にっぽんの右派ポピュリスト・ナショナリスト政党である「参政党」を巡る：東ドイツ人に関する「危険な被害者」という神話 & 外国人との秩序ある共生社会推進担当大臣 小野田紀美
On the “Sanseito” Party—Japan’s Right-Wing Populist-Nationalist Party: “Der gefährliche Opfermythos der Ostdeutschen” & ONODA Kimi, Minister in charge of a Society of Well-Ordered and Harmonious Coexistence with Foreign Nationals
https://art-culture.world/politics/sanseito-onoda-ldp-自民党-参政党/
Today is September the 5th, 2026.
As promised, exciting pics from Koenji Awaodori have been up-loaded today. However, in this gender-related context, let me post another perspective during this festival.
愛 ラブ ザ・KOENJI！ 高円寺 ❤️！
https://art-culture.world/jp-society/koenji/
from:
YES, YES, YES! VICTORY!! Victory for KISHIMOTO Satoko 岸本聡子! Prime Minister TAKAICHI Sanae’s Party had been destroyed by us Suginami-ku 杉並区 People! F*ck the LDP and Prime Minister Takaichi!
ビバ 岸本聡子 ❤️ ！！！
https://art-culture.world/politics/viva-kishimoto-satoko/
In this political context, from January of this year:
厳しい寒さの中、現在政治ボランティア活動に取り組んでいます。わたくしは高市早苗 (バカ総理) 大嫌い！！！
I am currently working as a political volunteer in the bitter cold. I hate TAKAICHI Sanae (the stupid Japanese Prime Minister)!!!
https://art-culture.world/politics/takaichi-sanae-japan/
Today is September the 8th, 2026.
Today is a dark day. Or rather, ein brauner Tag. Nazi Germany is back. Anyone who travels to Auschwitz gains a different kind of historical awareness, even in Japan. Today is also a day that I, personally, no longer celebrate.
皇紀2686年、にっぽん人がお好きなファシズムが復活・FUCK 圧だ！
In the 2686th year of the Japanese Imperial Era, fascism that the Japanese people love so much has made a comeback—FUCK oppression!
https://art-culture.world/jp-society/japan-fascism/
Today’s 9/11.
I visited SUGIMOTO Hiroshi’s show in the National Museum of Modern Art. A fiasco, disaster by this right-wing idiot Sugimoto.
2026年の3人目の館長は、北山浩士氏。かさばり、重く、扱いにくい8×10カメラの奴隷、右翼・バカ 杉本博司 @ 東京国立近代美術館 (aka 貧乏近美)
The third director, taking office in 2026, is Mr. KITAYAMA Koji. SUGIMOTO Hiroshi — a right-wing fool and a slave to the bulky, heavy, and unwieldy 8×10 camera @ National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (aka the “broke” MOMAT).
https://art-culture.world/reviews/poor-momat-sugimoto-hiroshi/
Today is September the 16th, 2026.
On the 14th, I informed the audience that the death of Yayoi Kusama had raised far too many sensitive questions. In doing so, I am exerting a certain amount of pressure on the art media and their writers to get to the bottom of the matter.
草間の死。高倉功 (養子) 、大田秀則、建畠昭。草間彌生の金融・財務困難に関して、この3人は現在、どのような役割を果たしているのでしょうか？
Kusama’s Death. TAKAKURA Isao (Kusama’s adopted son), OTA Hidenori, and TATEHATA Akira. What roles are these three individuals currently playing regarding KUSAMA Yayoi’s financial and fiscal difficulties?
I will now continue with my thoughts on the essay by curator TAKEUCHI Mariko titled “Dissident Women.”
In addition to photographers such as MORI Mariko (who will have a major retrospective next month at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo), NINAGAWA Mika, and KATAYAMA Mari, Takeuchi focused primarily on the following four photographers: YANAGI Miwa (who recently focussed on famous novelist, from a ‘Buraku’ background, NAKAGAMI Kenji), NAGASHIMA Yurie (my favorite artist), TAWADA Yuki, and SHIGA Lieko.
She noted that these women’s works understand, utilize, and have expanded the medium of photography as a method of expression and an evolutionary process, not only opening up new genres but also positively fostering an awareness of self-reflective analysis rooted in their own life experiences.
This form of artistic practice had not been presented to Japanese audiences in a way that they would have taken for granted. Which, of course, is a scandal.
Another representative quote from Takeuchi’s essay.
“However, hardly anyone in the male-dominated media and art worlds, long accustomed to the idea of women as mere photographic subjects, appreciated the novelty of their work. Critics, most of whom were men, dismissed their art under the rubric of onnanoko shashin 女の子写真 or “Girly Photo”, assuming that work produced by young women must inherently be immature – Nagashima’s included. In 2011, after this experience, Nagashima enrolled in graduate school at Musashi University in Tokyo, where she studied feminism. Her book “‘Bokura’ no ‘onnanoko shashin’ kara watashitachi no sari foto e” (From their ‘girl’s photography” to our Girly Photo, 2020), which was based on her master’s thesis, examines the dominant cultural discourse of that time and points out the fundamental flaw in entrenched ideas of gender that underpin much of her work.” (page 58)
Demonstrating exceptional curatorial insight — and fully aware of the risk that a critical analysis might appear too one-sided — Takeuchi has explored the central theme of the “condizione umana” through the work of Japanese female photographers. For this, she deserves all of our respect and admiration.
In closing, here is the final paragraph of her superb essay.
“Being a woman is not always foregrounded in these works. In some cases, such as Nagashima’s, it is deepened through an engagement with feminism. In others, such as Yanagi’s, womanhood overlaps with other societal and cultural contexts in complex ways. For Tawada and Shiga, womanhood seems to be internalised in the ritualistic nature of their production processes to commemorate other people. The second common thread among these artists is their preoccupation with themes concerning th roots of human life and community. Through a dialogue between photography and other art forms, they examine the conflicts and difficulties of being a woman and a human being, the importance of listening to memories of others, and repeated encounters with history. These two thematic and conceptual commonalities are always interrelated and present, forming a kind of loop. For these women, the practice of deviating from photography is precisely for the sake of this kind of complex, multivalent thinking.” (page 64)
Today is September the 17th, 2026.
Yesterday I went to see one of my favourite painters in Japan.
優れているアーティスト杉山日向子：甘さを欠いた美しさと親密さ
Outstanding Artist SUGIYAMA Hinako: Beauty and Intimacy Devoid of Sweetness
https://art-culture.world/reviews/sugiyama-hinako-zeitgeist-star-painter/
編集中、still in the process of writing and editing. Please check again in 1 week or so. Thank you.
On this occasion, I would like to introduce you to the still running Nagashima’s exhibition @ MINA, which is nearby the HIKARIE Building.
Yurie Nagashima “Before the Dog, Behind the Cat”
Museum of Imaginary Narrative Arts
Jul 10 (Fri) 2026 – Sep 27 (Sun) 2026; 11:00-22:00, open everyday
Talk event with NAGASHIMA Yurie 長島有里枝 and さとうりさ SATO Risa on Sunday August 30, 12:00 〜 14:00, ¥2,500
https://mina-shibuya.org/products/talk_nagashimayurie
3-7-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002
https://mina-shibuya.org/products/yurienagashima
NAGASHIMA Yurie 長島有里枝
http://yurienagashima.com
