Art, Anti-Art, Non-Art: Experiments in the Public Sphere in Postwar Japan, 1950-1970 May 18, 2010

'Art, Anti-Art, Non-Art' highlights a dynamic phase of avant-garde art in postwar Japan characterized by self-reflection and multimedia experimentation. From 1950 to 1970, numerous artistic groups emerged, notably Gutai Art Association, Group Ongaku, Fluxus/Tokyo Fluxus, Neo Dada, Hi Red Center, Vivo, Provoke, Intermedia, and Experiments in Art and Technology (E.A.T). Artists associated with these innovative groups tested the definition and practice of art by producing objects and ephemera that combined a variety of traditional and new media, including sound improvisation, language, performance, photography, video, and an expanded notion of sculpture. The artists collaborated beyond the boundaries of collectives, artistic genres, and conventional exhibition spaces, often presenting their work in the streets, temporary theaters and other public spheres. In addition, the Tokyo Olympics in 1964 and the Japan World Exposition in 1970 contributed to the emergence of Japan as a center of international contemporary culture and the arts.