The "Art Archive Exhibition XXVI: Yoshikuni Iida — Scenery of Time" will be held from Monday, May 27 to Friday, July 26, 2024.

Sculptor Yoshikuni Iida (1923–2006) is a sculptor known for his three-dimensional works combining colorful ropes and stainless steel, as well as monumental stainless steel works that move while reflecting the surrounding scenery. He began his career as a painter, but after traveling to Europe in 1956 and studying under sculptor Pericle Fazzini (1913–1987) in Rome, he embarked on the path of a sculptor. Iida subsequently worked mainly in Vienna and Berlin, presenting sculptures made of wood and stone. Upon returning to Japan in 1967, he chose metal as the central material for his work around that time and began creating pieces that skillfully utilized the mirrored surfaces of stainless steel. These works incorporated cutting-edge ideas of the time, such as sculptures that move by the power of the wind, and created a unique world by combining colored ropes with stainless steel forms.

This exhibition presents materials from the archives under our jurisdiction regarding the 1969 "International Iron and Steel Sculpture Symposium," where Iida demonstrated his skills as a producer. In this symposium, invited artists from various countries created works using iron, a material symbolizing the modern era, with the cooperation of ironworks. These works were significant not only for representing the cutting edge of civilization while also containing critiques of it, but also for leaving a major mark on the development of post-war contemporary art in the sense that they were installed at the site of the World Expo held in Osaka the following year. This exhibition looks back on Iida and other artists at that time, primarily through photographs.

Furthermore, "moving sculpture" works made of mirrored stainless steel that Iida himself named "Mirror Mobiles"—such as "Scenery of Time" created for the Iron and Steel Symposium, from which the title of this exhibition is taken—have since been installed in various parts of Japan. Works such as "Petals of Knowledge" (1981) and "Signal to the Stars" (1984) remain at the Keio University Mita Campus. We hope you will encounter Yoshikuni Iida within the new scenery created by the flow of time shown by works from different eras overlapping complexly with the time passed on the campus where Iida spent his student days.

【Dates & Times】

Monday, May 27 – Friday, July 26, 2024

11:00–18:00

Closed on weekends and holidays

【Venue】

Keio University Art Center (KUAC)

(Art Space, 1F South Annex, Mita Campus)

【Target Audience】

Open to everyone

※To all visitors of the exhibition

As the "Art Space" is a small exhibition room, please notify the Keio University Art Center (KUAC) in advance if you are visiting in a group of 15 or more for a student class or general group. We will prepare leaflets and other materials to ensure a smooth visit. We also ask for your consideration of other visitors to avoid causing any inconvenience.

Additionally, if you plan to give a lecture within the Art Space for a class or other purpose, please be sure to consult with the Keio University Art Center (KUAC) in advance.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

【Admission Fee】

Free

【Organizer】

Keio University Art Center (KUAC)

【Inquiries】

Keio University Art Center (KUAC)

2-15-45 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8345

TEL: 03-5427-1621

FAX: 03-5427-1620

ac-tenji[at]adst.keio.ac.jp

【Related Events】

・"Lecture" Date & Time: Saturday, June 29, 2024, 15:00–16:30

※Details will be posted as soon as they are finalized.

・Gallery Talk

※Details will be posted as soon as they are finalized.

Please see here for details such as application information.