Before and After Superflat: A Short History of Japanese Contemporary Art, 1990 - 2011

Despite the success of Takashi Murakami’s “Superflat” movement, most Japanese contemporary art remains little known or appreciated in the international art world. Before and After Superflat tells the true inside story of the Japanese art world since 1990, as Japan has stumbled through a series of economic, social and ecological crises since the collapse of its “Bubble” economy. Explaining the rise of Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara, and the distorting effects their success has had, the book presents other important artists from the 1990s and 2000s, as well as Japan’s thriving art world of curators, gallerists and art writers. Inside this world, there is an often dramatic story to be told about institutions such as Mori Art Museum and MOT (Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo), and events such as the Yokohama Triennial, or the Echigo-Tsumari and Setouchi festivals. New kinds of street art and initiatives like 3331 Arts Chiyoda are also re-inventing art in the city, outside the white cube and commercial contexts. The book ends with an epilogue about contemporary art in Japan after the Tohoku earthquake.

Adrian Favell’s book, Before and After Superflat: A Short History of Japanese Contemporary Art, 1990 – 2011 was published in April 2012 by Timezone 8.

Free but booking is essential at http://www.dajf.org.uk/events/booking-form