Japanese Art Sound Archive Collaboration: Tatsuo Kawaguchi, 345600 Seconds, 2021
The Japanese Art Sound Archive collaborated with Tatsuo Kawaguchi to produce his new installation, 345600 Seconds. The work references the artist’s original works from 1971, 172800 Seconds, which is presented at galerie 16 in Kyoto. It is part of “From 172800 seconds in 1971 to 345600 seconds in 2021,” an exhibition that opens on April 23rd, 2021 at SNOW Contemporary. I also coproduced the exhibition catalogue.
There were nothing but an 8mm movie camera fixed on the wall and an open-reel tape recorder placed on the floor in the space of “172800 Second Exhibition.” Throughout the exhibition, the camera was set up to trigger its shutter every 8 seconds, and the tape recorder captured the surrounding sounds. After the exhibition, Kawaguchi sealed the films and tapes using lead panels without ever playing the films and tapes back. The work may embarrass the audience at the time; however, it is one of the early products of his exploration of “relations,” and it is considered one of the beginnings of his method of sealing with lead.
The term “172800 Seconds” refers to the length of the entire exhibition; that is 8 hours per day for 6 days. Furthermore, “From 172800 seconds in 1971 to 345600 seconds in 2021” is a 6-hour-per-day exhibition that is carried out for 16 days. The text in the catalogue proposed the key to thinking about the gap and connection between the two exhibitions. I also will participate in the webinar, “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Time Boomerang” (May 8th), which is related to “Artist Voice I: Tatsuo Kawaguchi non-respiring” at Keio University Art Center, April 19th-June 18th, 2021 (information) [Cancelled in response to the declaration of emergency].
There were nothing but an 8mm movie camera fixed on the wall and an open-reel tape recorder placed on the floor in the space of “172800 Second Exhibition.” Throughout the exhibition, the camera was set up to trigger its shutter every 8 seconds, and the tape recorder captured the surrounding sounds. After the exhibition, Kawaguchi sealed the films and tapes using lead panels without ever playing the films and tapes back. The work may embarrass the audience at the time; however, it is one of the early products of his exploration of “relations,” and it is considered one of the beginnings of his method of sealing with lead.
The term “172800 Seconds” refers to the length of the entire exhibition; that is 8 hours per day for 6 days. Furthermore, “From 172800 seconds in 1971 to 345600 seconds in 2021” is a 6-hour-per-day exhibition that is carried out for 16 days. The text in the catalogue proposed the key to thinking about the gap and connection between the two exhibitions. I also will participate in the webinar, “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Time Boomerang” (May 8th), which is related to “Artist Voice I: Tatsuo Kawaguchi non-respiring” at Keio University Art Center, April 19th-June 18th, 2021 (information) [Cancelled in response to the declaration of emergency].
Tatsuo Kawaguchi, 172800 Seconds, 1971 Open-reel tape recorder, 8mm movie camera ©Tatsuo Kawaguchi Unidentified photographer
Japanese Art Sound Archive Collaboration: Tatsuo Kawaguchi, 345600 Seconds, 2021
Tatsuo Kawaguchi ”From 172800 Seconds in 1971 to 345600 in 2021″ SNOW Contemporary April 23rd – May 22nd information
Symposium ”Artist Voice I: Tatsuo Kawaguchi non-respiring” [Cancelled in response to the declaration of emergency] information
May 8th, 2021 (Saturday) 14:30-16:30
Online (Zoom Webinar)
Free / No prior application required
Organizer｜Keio University Art Center
Lecturer｜Tatsuo Kawaguchi / Yohko Watanabe / Tomotaro Kaneko
Tatsuo Kawaguchi Biography
May 8th, 2021 (Saturday) 14:30-16:30
Online (Zoom Webinar)
Free / No prior application required
Organizer｜Keio University Art Center
Lecturer｜Tatsuo Kawaguchi / Yohko Watanabe / Tomotaro Kaneko
Tatsuo Kawaguchi Biography
1940 Born in Kobe, Hyogo
1962 Graduated from Tama University of Fine Art, Department of Painting
1965 Organized Group “I”
1983 Associate Professor of Art at the University of Tsukuba, Institute of Art and Design (Professor in 1991)
Selected Solo Exhibitions
1981 “Tatsuo Kawaguchi”, Art Front Gallery, Tokyo
1990 “Today’s Artists III Tatsuo Kawaguchi”, The Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura, Kanagawa
1997 “Relation: Tatsuo Kawaguchi”, Chiba City Museum of Art, Chiba
1998 “KAWAGUCHI TATSUO 1990-1998: Sealed Time”, Contemporary Art Center, Art Tower Mito, Ibaraki
1999 “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Relation-Kyoto”, Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art, Kyoto
2003 “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Earth, Water, Plant”, Hillside Forum, Tokyo
“Japanese Contemporary Art: Tatsuo Kawaguchi”, Busan Museum, Busan
2004 “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Relation-Frottage of Time”, Nagoya City Art Museum, Aichi
2005 “Time of Time: Tatsuo Kawaguchi”, Aomori Contemporary Art Centre, Aomori
2007 “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: The Invisible and The Visible”, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyogo and Nagoya City Art Museum, Aichi
2008 “Positions towards Infinity: Works of Tatsuo Kawaguchi in 1970s”, Utsunomiya Museum of Art, Tochigi
“Tatsuo KAWAGUCHI: DARK BOX 2008”, Nagoya City Art Museum, Aichi
2009 “Kawaguchi Tatsuo: Language, Time, Life”, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Tokyo
2012 “Let There Be Light! Tatsuo Kawaguchi: World after 3/11”, Iwaki City Art Museum, Fukushima
2015 “KAWAGUCHI Tatsuo: Vertical Time, or Stairway Time”, SNOW Contemporary, Tokyo
“Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Darkness Time”, Museum Haus Kasuya, Kanagawa
2017 “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Beyond Viewing”, Kanaz Forest of Creation, Fukui
2018 “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Chi no Kohya”, Kurobe City Art Museum, Toyama
2019 “Tatsuo Kawaguchi: Time Compass”, Echigo Tsumari Kiyotsu Soko Museum of Art, Niigata”
Selected Group Exhibition
1970 “Between Man and Matter: The 10th International Art Exhibition of Japan”, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Gallery, Tokyo
1973 “8e Biennale de Paris”, Musée d’art modern, Paris
1986 “Le Japon des Avant-gardes”, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
1989 “Magiciens de la Terre”, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
1994 “Japanese Art after 1945”, Guggenhaim Museum and others, New York
2000 “The Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial”, Niigata (’03, ’12)
2004 “Trace: Body and Reflection in the Post-war Art”, Museum of Modern art, Kyoto, Kyoto
“Group “I””, Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Hyogo
2010 “Setouchi International Art Festival”, Kagawa”
2013 “A Requiem, Two years after”, Museum of Modern Art, Ibaraki, Ibaraki
2015 “Re:play 1972/2015 – Restaging “Expression in Film ’72””, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
2017 “Oku-Noto Triennale,” Ishikawa
Japanese Art Sound Archive 