Robert Frank Tunnel (video still), color and black & white, 4 minutes, 2005 © Robert Frank
Robert Frank is an undisputed master of photography. This exhibition displays the photographic and video works he produced between 1947 and 2016, as well as a collection of his photographs published by STEIDL.Robert Frank: Books and Films, 1947-2016will be held.
This exhibition was organized with Gerhard Steidel, a leading figure in the art book world and founder of the "STEIDL" company.
Today, a vintage print by Robert Frank is worth about 80 million yen on the current art market, and the American museum that owns the print is prohibited from lending it outside the country, so there are very few opportunities for the print to be shown to the public.
Robert Frank checking the cover of the Steidl edition of The Americans in Göttingen, 2007 © Gerhard Steidl
In response, Robert Frank appealed for his work to be seen by a new generation in particular, and together with Steidel, he planned a unique exhibition that defied the art market with "education" at its core. The idea was to print Frank's photographs on newsprint provided by Germany's largest daily newspaper, the Süddeutsche Zeitung (South German Newspaper), and to show them free of charge in highly public places such as schools and museums.
The exhibited works will be destroyed by the performance at the end of the exhibition based on the concept of severing the relationship with the art market.
© Copyright John McCarthy 2014 Left: Robert Frank Right: Gerhard Steidel
The students of Tokyo University of the Arts played a leading role in this year's Tokyo exhibition, from the planning of the exhibition structure and events to publicity and fixture production, making the entire process of the exhibition, including its organization, more "educational" than ever before.
Not only Robert Frank fans, but also the younger generation who aspire to photography and art should see this exhibition. The events that will take place during the exhibition period are also gorgeous. Please refer to the details below.
Text_Ryo Komuta
Robert Frank: Books and Films, 1947-2016
Venue: Chinretsukan, The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts
Address: 12-8 Ueno Koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Dates: Friday, November 11 - Thursday, November 24, 2016 (open daily during the exhibition period)
Hours: 10:00-18:00
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Gerhard Steidel Workshop
Date: Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 13:00~16:00 (doors open at 12:30)
Venue: Large Plaster Room, 1F, Painting Building, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts
Tours: First 30 people ・ Advance reservations required (this way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)) at the following location: Free of charge
** A total of 10 participants, five selected from the "Steidl Book Award Japan" and five from the University of the Arts, will be invited to a workshop where Mr. Steidel will give them specific advice on bookmaking. This is a rare educational opportunity for German publisher Gerhard Steidel to communicate with the younger generation in Japan, transcending national and cultural differences to convey the appeal and potential of bookmaking.
Gerhard Steidel Lecture
Date and Time: Thursday, November 10, 2016, 15:00~16:30(14:30 doors open )
Venue: Lecture Room 1, Central Building, Tokyo University of the Arts
Capacity: 150 people on a first-come, first-served basis, advance reservations required (this way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker))
Admission: Free
*Mr. Steidel will share his experience working with renowned artists on the creation of a book.
Screening of the new documentary film "Don't Blink - Robert Frank
Date: November 23 (Wed., holiday) 13:00- (12:30 at the venue)
Venue: Lecture Room 1, Central Building, Tokyo University of the Arts
Capacity: First 60 people, advance reservations required (this way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker))
Admission: Free
*A new documentary film about Robert Frank as a filmmaker, "Don't Blink - Robert Frank," directed by Laura Israel, will be screened prior to its Japanese release in April 2017.
Risaku Suzuki × Kei Matsushita Symposium "PHOTO & PHOTOBOOK (tentative)
Date: November 23 (Wed., holiday) 15:00- (Venue: 14:30)
Venue: Lecture Room 1, Central Building, Tokyo University of the Arts
Capacity: 150 people on a first-come, first-served basis, advance reservations required (this way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker))
Admission: Free
Performed by: Risaku Suzuki , Kei Matsushita
*Photographer Risaku Suzuki and graphic designer Kei Matsushita will hold a symposium on the theme of photo books.
Closing Event
Date & Time: Thursday, November 24, 19:00 start
Venue: Chinretsukan, The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts
Capacity: First 100 people ・ Advance reservations required (this way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker))
Admission: Free
Performers: Saori Hara, Marty Hicks (to be updated as needed)
*The performance will be based on the concept of destroying the work at the end of the exhibition period.
Robert Frank
Born in Switzerland in 1924, he immigrated to the U.S. in 1947, and in 1959 published The Americans, a collection of photographs that shocked viewers by capturing aspects of American society that had not previously received much attention. From the late 1950s, he began to focus on filmmaking. He has released many video works, including "Pull My Daisy," the first film he made with his family and friends, and "Me and My Brother," which established his own style of work in which fiction and reality intermingle. He is now 92 years old and continues to work energetically, including a collection of photographs with Steidl.
Gerhard Steidel.
Born in Germany in 1950, he started his career as a designer and publisher in 1967. 1968, he founded Steidl in his hometown of Göttingen, Germany, and began producing posters for art exhibitions by Joseph Beuys and others. 1972, he published his first book, and since then, his activities have expanded to include literature, art and photography, In 1972, he published his first book, and since then has expanded his activities to include books on literature, art, and photography. Today, the company leads the art book industry with its unique style of in-house editing, design, printing, bookbinding, and publishing. In 2013, his documentary film "The Man Who Makes the Most Beautiful Books in the World" was released in Japan, attracting much attention.
