Quite a busy day this Tuesday. Starting with a meeting at Nanjo and Associates, with Fumio Nanjo. On my way there I noticed some weird postmodern architecture. Nanjo is one of the key people in Tokyo and runs an agency producing, among other activities, works for public spaces, public buildings. Interesting exchange of information with one of the first independent curators in Japan.

Met his staff, among them is Daniel McLean who was also recommended to me by Lucien Terras in New York.

Then I ran to Gallery Shimada to meet with artist Minako Nishiyama. She is an artist dealing in Barbie Doll esthetic--in a twisted way, of course. Quite interesting. She is part of the pink, Manga, Kawaï (cute) esthetic, which is kind of big in Japan.

Ran again to meet with Kazuko Koike who is director of the Sagacho Exhibit Space. She is also a teacher at the University and a fashion critic.



It was nice. We basically spoke fashion and she shared insights "after Kawakubo." The names that came out, for your little shopping list, are: -Tsomura. Used to work for Miyake and now has his own company called Final Home. I checked it out and it is pretty good. Kind of self-protection clothes, between military and high tech. I did not buy any because, as I told you before, I am a moron. -June Takahashi. With Undercover. Pretty good. -Nakano Iromishi (not sure about the spelling). With Kyon Kyon. I checked it out also and liked it. If memory serves, it reminded me a bit of Martin Margiella. Walked through the exhibition. Tamotsu Shihara and Mamoru Fujieda did the light and sound.

After that I spent some time at Tomio Koyama's gallery, which is in the same building. He has an opening (Plamen Dejanov & Swetlana Heger). Like a good dealer, Tomio was cleaning the floor of the gallery.



Dealers...they all do that. I have so many photos of art dealers cleaning their floors. Curators too I should say. They all do that when a camera is around. I always wonder if there is something romantic about this activity; something like the dealer-curator "bohemia," the starving dealer (the devoted curator) suffering, humiliating him or herself for the clean purity of the art and, of course, the comfort of the audience.
It works!



A collector entered the gallery. The collector, Daisuke Miyatsu, was very nice and seems to have a very nice collection. With, among others, a Yayoi Kusama which never found its way to the Walker Art Center. Anyway, he was nice and funny.