October 22, 2016 - January 15, 2017
This will be the first museum exhibition devoted solely to the work of THE PLAY, a group that has been active in the Kansai area since 1967. This one-of-a-kind band of artists has continued to perform actions without any lasting form for close to 50 years. These include floating down a river on a polystyrene raft, traveling around with a sheep, and waiting for lightning to strike. The exhibition will present the entire range of the group's activities using printed matter, video documents, and life-size materials.
THE PLAY
Active, primarily in the Kansai region, since 1967. The group now consists of five members: Ikemizu Keiichi, Kobayashi Shinichi, Suzuki Yoshinobu, Nii Seiji, and Miki Tetsuo. The group has had a fluid membership, with more than 100 people taking part in various capacities over the years. They have repeatedly planned and carried out "actions" in natural settings, and brought their experiences back to daily life. These have included piloting a styrofoam raft down a river, taking sheep on a trip from Kyoto to Kobe, and building a triangular tower with approximately 20-meter sides out of logs on top of a mountain and waiting for lightning to strike over a period of ten years.
Documentary photography from THE PLAY VOYAGE: Happening In An Egg, August 1, 1968 off the southern coast of Kushimoto, Wakayama
Photographed by Ishii Nobuo © THE PLAY
Documentary photography from THE PLAY Current of Contemporary Art, July 20, 1969 on the Yodo River
Photographed by Higuchi Shigeru © THE PLAY
Documentary photography from THE PLAY La Seine / Current of Contemporary Art, June 5, 2012 on the Seine, Paris, France
Photographed by Minami Takao © THE PLAY
Documentary photography from THE PLAY SHEEP, August 23, 1970 in Kyoto
by unidentified photographer © THE PLAY
Documentary photography from THE PLAY IE: THE PLAY HAVE A HOUSE, August 5, 1972 in Kasagi, Soraku, Kyoto
Photographed by Otsuka Yuzo © THE PLAY
Documentary photography from THE PLAY THUNDER 7, from July 7 to September 11, 1983 at the top of Mt. Jubu, Wazuka, Soraku, Kyoto
by unidentified photographer © THE PLAY
Documentary photography from THE PLAY THUNDER 9, from May 26 to September 16, 1985 at the top of Mt. Jubu, Wazuka, Soraku, Kyoto
by unidentified photographer © THE PLAY
Installation view of THE PLAY MADO or replay = Love the things out, 1980 at Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
Photographed by Keiichi Ikemizu © THE PLAY
Opening Hours
10:00-17:00 (10:00-20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays)
*Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Closed
Mondays and 28 December, 2016 – 4 January, 2017, except January 9, 2017.
Admission Fee
Adults: 430 (220) yen
University students: 130 (70) yen
