Takashi Murakami’s debut in the Middle East this February was much more that expected
The opening day say guest munching Takashi Murakami characters that were place on oh-so-Murakami desserts. They were a treat for the senses...
The show was inaugurate by Qatar Museum Authority's H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa Bint Hamad Bin Khalifa (pictured above as she admired the huge Murakami sculpture that greeted guests)
Takashi Murakami talking to H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa as they toured the exhibition...
And then we were led into the circus tent that doubles as an indoor cinema. The circus space also includes Murakami's new 100-meter-long paintings that wraps around the space.
Massimiliano Gioni smiling to the camera :)
H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa & Sheikh Jassim Bin Abdulaziz Bin Jassim Al-Thani
Walking on art...
Murakami mugs and accessories at the gift shop
Simon de Pury: auctioneer and collector. He is chairman and co-founder of the art auction house Phillips de Pury & Company (one of the largest art auction houses in the world).
Saudi artist Manal Al-Dowayan
Emmanuel Perrotin: one of the foremost contemporary art dealers. Represents some of the world's most popular artists at his gallery
Interview with Massimiliano Gioni in Oasis Magazine's March 2012 issue:
Everybody was hovering around the star and visionary artist Takashi Murakami at his Middle Eastern debut show in Qatar Museum Authority’s Al-Riwaq. But, we wanted an even deeper look into the artist’s persona (perhaps he does have a big ego?). We wanted to know what it’s like to work with Takashi Murakami. What did it take to put this whole production together? We decided to talk to another visionary, curator of ‘EGO’ Mr. Massimiliano Gioni.
In the EGO conference, at the Museum of Islamic Art, Murakami said that he could easily compare his EGO exhibition to a movie. This movie’s main cast and crew would be himself, Qatar Museum Authority, famed Parisian gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin, and curator Massimiliano Gioni. Who would be the director and who exactly is the producer?
With the news of Massimiliano Gioni, curator at the New Museum in New York and director of the Nicola Trussardi Foundation in Milan, being named the curator for the prestigious Venice Biennale in 2013 (announced just a week before the opening of EGO) we thought we’d talk to this particular visionary who has been named ‘the most successful curator of his generation’. All the press had been focused on Takashi Murakami himself, of course he is the star, but as he said it really takes a whole team to put on an exhibition this important. Curator Massimiliano Gioni was chosen for his vision.
“Let’s start with the Ego” we said, Massimiliano Gioni cleverly replies “Where else?”. What we wanted to know was why this exhibition is called Ego? Does Murakami have a huge ego as lots of artists who are making it big do? Does Massimiliano have an equally big ego?
What is the gravitational pull that Takashi Murakami has on people around the world? That’s a great question. Takashi Murakami uses materials that were part of the childhood of many people here in Qatar and all over the world. We all had an affectionate relationship to the kind of imagery that he uses because of the cartoons. It’s something that everybody experiences in their childhood so we can all relate. That’s what connects his work to the collective unconscious and that has a strong pull because what you learn in your childhood, you’re never going to forget. Takashi thinks of himself as a movie director, he says that he measures up to George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. So he thinks of his art without fear of entertainment and that gives him the ability to permeate contemporary culture. Ultimately, his artwork is beautiful and the craftsmanship and devotion to detail is impeccable.
It really is. And, Does the commercial aspect add to the entertainment factor?
Takashi conceives of the economy as a medium. His collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Kanye West, and the gift shops, like this one in Doha where you can buy Takashi mugs and stickers, ultimately goes back to his vision. He believes that his work should be in the best museums but also in any supermarket. It’s the idea of economy as a medium. We have to forget about a lot of conversations about price tags. I’m personally fed up of judging art based on the price tag. When you meet Takashi and work with him you realize that he is an incredibly modest person, he works for days and sleeps on the floor. He sleeps in the cheapest hotel where the whole crew is staying, and he even has a sleeping bag so he can sleep wherever he needs to.
“Murakami - Ego”
Al Riwaq Exhibition Hall in Doha, Qatar
February 9 - June 24, 2012
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