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MORIMURA Yasumasa

Artistic Director of the Yokohama Triennale 2014

Born 1951 in Osaka, where he continues to live and work. Completed undergraduate and graduate degrees at Kyoto City University of Arts.

He made his debut in 1985 with self-portrait works based on his personal interpretation of Vincent Van Gogh. He has since produced a number of self-portraits in diligently staged photography and video works, identifying with art-historical images, famous film actresses, and iconic figures from the 20th century.

In 1988, Morimura was invited to take part in the Aperto section of the 43rd Venice Biennale, and over the years, he has participated in countless important exhibitions.

Selected solo exhibitions in Japan include, "The Sickness unto Beauty: Self-portrait as Actress" (Yokohama Museum of Art, 1996), "Self-Portrait as Art History" (Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, and two other venues, 1998), Morimura Self-Portraits: An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, 2001), "Bi [bi:]-Class, Be Quiet" (Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto, and Yokohama Museum of Art, 2007), and "A Requiem: Art on Top of the Battlefield" (Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, and three other venues, 2010 and 2011). His most recent solo exhibitions overseas is "Requiem for the XX Century: Twilight of the Turbulent Gods" (La Galleria di Piazza San Marco, Venice, and two other venues, 2007 and 2008), but has previously held shows in major museums in the United States, France, Spain, Australia, Thailand, and India.

His works are part of major national and public collections in Japan and also overseas, including Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, Museum of Fine Art, Boston, and Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane. He is a prolific writer, and author of many Japanese titled books. He has received a number of awards for his achievements, including Kyoto Prefecture Culture Prize, Merits Prize (2006), Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s Art Encouragement Prize of Fine Arts (2007), Photographic Society of Japan Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award (2011), and also one of the most prestigious awards in the field of art and science, Order of Purple Ribbon, Shiju Hosho (2011). He was also recently commended for a Person of Cultural Merit, Bunka Korosha, by Kyoto City (2013).

(From press information © Photo: Morimura Yasumasa + ROJIAN)

Yokohama Triennale 2014

1 August - 3 November 2014
Yokohama, Japan

Title:
ART Fahrenheit 451:
Sailing into the sea of oblivion
See the curatorial text and the interview

Artistic Director:
MORIMURA Yasumasa

List of participants
Artists, groups, projects

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