Yokoo Tadanori: State of Emergency Declaration
Japan
Kobe
2020
22
Yokoo Tadanori: State of Emergency Declaration explores the artist’s prescient depictions of tense situations where the line between fact and fiction dissolves. Long before the novel coronavirus crisis, Yokoo Tadanori repeatedly created works that now resonate with contemporary global events, reflecting a timeless human experience of uncertainty. This exhibition features his impactful paintings alongside an installation of his recent online series, With Corona, which incorporates imagery like masks in a direct artistic response to the virus. Visitors can observe how Yokoo’s vision, spanning from earlier works to current creations, challenges perceptions of reality, encouraging reflection on art’s power to interpret and shape our understanding of the world during moments of profound change.
Why should you watch this?
The film State of Emergency Declaration resonates now because it captures the unsettling feeling of living through crises that blur the edges of truth and imagination. Long before the pandemic, Yokoo Tadanori painted scenes where reality fractured under pressure, and his recent With Corona collages — filled with masks and cavernous mouths — extend that vision into our present. Confronting these images can be disquieting, even surreal, yet they also sharpen awareness of how art can mirror collective anxiety while offering a space to process it. The takeaway is stark yet universal: in uncertain times, art helps us face fear and reimagine survival.
Yokoo Tadanori’s Game of Life
Japan
Kobe
2025
18
Yokoo Tadanori’s Game of Life transforms the artist’s remarkable journey into an interactive board game, inviting visitors to experience his extensive artistic world firsthand. Born in 1936, Yokoo Tadanori has navigated a career spanning decades, marked by a philosophy that embraces destiny and chance. The exhibition explores how his art reflects life’s unpredictable path, where outcomes are often left to fate, much like reaching the “Finish” square in a game. Through this engaging format, featuring the visionary artist’s work, the exhibition encourages reflection on the interplay of choice and fortune in shaping creative expression and individual trajectories. Visitors will gain a fresh perspective on his unique artistic vision and the unpredictable nature of life itself.
Why should you watch this?
The film Yokoo Tadanori’s Game of Life feels urgent now because it frames existence as both play and chance, echoing the uncertainty of our own times. Yokoo’s use of the board game format highlights how life’s path is shaped as much by accident as by intention, a theme that resonates in an era of shifting global realities. Moving between moments of triumph, setback, and surprise, the exhibition transforms autobiography into a shared reflection on fate. The playful roll of the dice becomes a metaphor for resilience, leaving viewers with a reminder that unpredictability is not chaos but a condition of living.
Requiem: Cats, Portraits, and Yokoo Tadanori
Japan
Kobe
2024
17
Requiem: Cats, Portraits explores artist Yokoo Tadanori’s profound connections with departed friends, family, and beloved cats, tracing his influential career from the 1960s to the present. Born in 1936, Yokoo’s artistic journey has always been shaped by deep personal relationships and collaborative endeavors across various creative fields. The exhibition features portraits and personal statements, alongside items like the Tama, Come Home series, dedicated to his late cat. Visitors will also see examples of his enduring friendship with designer Issey Miyake, including iconic invitation designs from the 1970s onwards. This unique presentation invites viewers to reflect on how cherished relationships transcend time, influencing an artist’s vision and offering a glimpse into a timeless “Yokoo World.”
Why should you watch this?
The film Requiem: Cats, Portraits speaks to the need to keep memories alive in a time when loss touches many lives. Yokoo Tadanori’s portraits of friends, family, and his late cat Tama are not only records of affection but also reminders of how relationships shape creative vision. The display of Issey Miyake’s invitations alongside Yokoo’s drawings captures the energy of a friendship that spanned decades, showing how personal ties can fuel artistic innovation. Moving between private recollection and shared cultural history, the work invites viewers to consider how love, grief, and memory continue to shape the world we inhabit.
Yokoo Tadanori: 100 Takes of Hanshan and Shide
Japan
Kobe
2024
2020
100 Takes of Hanshan and Shide presents artist Yokoo Tadanori’s series of 102 paintings, reinterpreting figures from China’s Tang dynasty. Hanshan and Shide, eccentric poets believed to be bodhisattvas, have inspired artists for centuries with their enduring mystery. Yokoo found them an ideal image, projecting them onto diverse scenes like ukiyo-e-style women and marathon runners, a quest begun with his interpretation of Soga Shohaku. This exhibition reveals Yokoo’s sustained creative power after forty years, connecting ancient legends with contemporary art. Visitors will reflect on the timeless interplay between myth and artistic vision, appreciating how one artist continually reshapes enduring narratives.
Why should you watch this?
The film 100 Takes of Hanshan and Shide speaks to our moment by showing how myth and misrule become tools for thinking about continuity and change. Yokoo’s decision to paint 102 versions — placing ragged, poetic figures beside ukiyo-e women, Belorussian lovers, and marathon runners — stretches time and tests who belongs in stories we keep. Some images shock: Hanshan laughing in garish color or Shide pacing through a crowd of runners; others disarm with tenderness. The work feels at once playful and provocative, inviting viewers to reconsider tradition as a living practice and to carry forward compassion and imagination into uncertain futures.
Whispers of the Forest
Canada
Ottawa
2025
8
The exhibition Whispers of the Forest presents a playful, interactive world where contemporary Korean art explores themes of nature, community, and coexistence. This immersive installation, designed especially for children and families, addresses pressing modern issues like rapid urban development, environmental loss, and displacement. The gallery becomes a forest playground featuring works by artists Um A Long, who creates sculptures from discarded materials, and Haksoon Hong, who brings his vibrant Wink Tokki World to life through murals and animations. Visitors are encouraged to engage directly with the art, moving beyond passive viewing to reflect on sustainability and our relationships with others. The experience prompts us to imagine a future where all beings can live and grow together in harmony.
Why should you watch this?
The film Whispers of the Forest asks what it means to share a world at a moment when climate change and rapid urban growth unsettle familiar ways of living. Um A Long’s sculptures, shaped from discarded materials, echo the resilience of creatures adapting to damaged environments, while Haksoon Hong’s Wink Tokki characters invite us into a universe where play and friendship make coexistence possible. Together, these voices create a mood that shifts between unease and delight, reminding us that survival and joy are intertwined. The film ultimately leaves viewers with a simple yet urgent question: how do we choose to live together?
TIME FOR OUTRAGE! Art in Times of Social Anger | Feminism
Germany
Dusseldorf
2020
23
Can anger and rage be justified in a world riddled with oppression and inequality? Are these emotions destructive forces or vital catalysts for social change? As democracy faces crises and populism gains ground globally, these questions have sparked renewed debate. Contemporary artists have responded, using their work to navigate and challenge the pressing issues of our time.
The exhibition ‘Time for Outrage!’ in Düsseldorf explores these questions through six thematic blocks: Right-wing Shift, Trumpism, Protest, Postcolonialism, Feminism, and Discrimination. Across a diverse range of mediums — including installations, drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, and video art — 40 international artists immerse viewers in the visceral realms of protest, social dissent, and public anger. The exhibition doesn’t just present anger as a raw emotion; it portrays it as a vehicle for dialogue, resistance, and empowerment in the face of systemic injustice.
A substantial portion of the works on display come from the collection of entrepreneur and collector Florian Peters-Messer, whose commitment to socially engaged art amplifies the urgent messages these pieces convey.
Why should you watch this?
Alexander Grinberg. Movement. 1920s
Russia
Moscow
2019
53
Step back into the vibrant world of the 1920s with the Movement. 1920s exhibition, which captures the revolutionary spirit and artistic innovation of this transformative decade. Celebrating a surge of creativity across visual arts, architecture, and design, the exhibit showcases how artists challenged traditional norms and embraced new mediums and themes. Through a carefully curated selection of works and engaging installations, visitors can explore the interplay between art, politics, and society during a time marked by upheaval and change. From the bold geometries of constructivism to the experimental forms of avant-garde movements, Movement. 1920s invites audiences to witness how the decade laid the groundwork for contemporary art, illuminating the ongoing dialogue between past and present in the ever-evolving landscape of visual culture.
Why should you watch this?
This exhibition features a diverse array of works that reflect the pulse of a society in transformation — bold colors, experimental forms, and a celebration of motion that captures the zeitgeist of post-war optimism. Each piece invites the viewer to engage with the revolutionary ideas that shaped modern art, making it a must-see for anyone interested in the interplay between culture and creativity. It demonstrates how artists of the 1920s broke boundaries and redefined artistic expression, leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary landscape.
Implicit Modernism. Roman Babichev’s Collection. Part II.
Russia
Moscow
2017
95
The exhibition presents Roman Babichev’s collection as a compelling exploration of Soviet modernism, challenged by decades of controversy surrounding the term due to the anti-formalist campaigns of the 1930s and Cold War ideological battles. Offering a fresh lens, the exhibition sheds light on the often-overlooked variety within Soviet art, breaking down entrenched stereotypes and revealing the interconnections among post-avant-garde communities active after the 1932 ban on creative associations. By emphasizing the nuanced expressions of these artists—whose declarations were rendered in their unique painting styles rather than explicit statements—the exhibition invites viewers to reassess the rich tapestry of Soviet artistic heritage through a symbolist perspective, encouraging a more multidimensional understanding of its evolving narrative.
Why should you watch this?
The exhibition challenges prevailing narratives about art and encourages critical engagement with the complexities of cultural identity. In a time when discussions about artistic censorship, identity politics, and the role of art in society are more pertinent than ever, this exhibition provides a vital platform to explore how historical legacies shape contemporary artistic expressions. By delving into the often-misunderstood facets of Soviet modernism, viewers will uncover important parallels with current global movements calling for the recognition of marginalized voices and the reevaluation of entrenched ideologies. The guided experience not only enriches understanding of the artwork but also fosters a dialogue about the role of art as a form of resistance and expression in addressing modern societal challenges.
TIME FOR OUTRAGE! Art in Times of Social Anger | Postcolonialism
Germany
Dusseldorf
2020
36
Can anger and rage be justified in a world riddled with oppression and inequality? Are these emotions destructive forces or vital catalysts for social change? As democracy faces crises and populism gains ground globally, these questions have sparked renewed debate. Contemporary artists have responded, using their work to navigate and challenge the pressing issues of our time.
The exhibition ‘Time for Outrage!’ in Düsseldorf explores these questions through six thematic blocks: Right-wing Shift, Trumpism, Protest, Postcolonialism, Feminism, and Discrimination. Across a diverse range of mediums — including installations, drawings, paintings, sculptures, photography, and video art — 40 international artists immerse viewers in the visceral realms of protest, social dissent, and public anger. The exhibition doesn’t just present anger as a raw emotion; it portrays it as a vehicle for dialogue, resistance, and empowerment in the face of systemic injustice.
A substantial portion of the works on display come from the collection of entrepreneur and collector Florian Peters-Messer, whose commitment to socially engaged art amplifies the urgent messages these pieces convey.