Hiroshi Sugimoto, Accelerated Buddha, exhibition view, all images courtesy Fondation Pierre Bergé
Currently on view at Fondation Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent is an exhibition of work by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto, exploring the historical/cultural emergence and relevance of Buddhism in Japanese culture. Entitled Accelerated Buddha, the exhibition is the gallery’s 20th exhibition, which opened on October 10th and will run through January 26th 2013.
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Accelerated Buddha, exhibition view
The concept of the exhibition focuses on Buddhism’s role in the history of Japanese culture, as well as more general themes found within Buddhism, such as the awakening of the consciousness, paralleled with the objects and craftsmanship of Buddhist practice and iconography. The values found in Buddhism are juxtaposed with the emergence of modern-day technologies and progressively unbalanced environment, “speeding toward destruction. On display at Fondation Pierre Bergé are artworks created by Hiroshi Sugimoto as well as pieces from his own personal collection, highlighting his emphasis on various symbols found in Buddhism.
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Accelerated Buddha, exhibition view
Included in the show is a very special series of fourty-eight photographic works taken by Sugimoto featuring several views of a thousand statues of Buddhisattva, a major figure in Buddhism. These are displayed as “life size” images, and are also contained within a five-minute video installation displayed on three screens in the last room of the exhibition. These works are finally able to be shown after seven years of negotiations with authorities from the thirteenth century temple of Sanjûsangendô in Kyôto, where the statues are enshrined.
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Accelerated Buddha, exhibition view
Additionally, Sugimoto has curated a selection of ancient objects, artifacts, antiques, and memorabilia selected from his own personal collection. Examples include medical books from the 18th century, Time magazines from World War II, meteorite fragments, fossils, sculptures, and photographs. Significant among these pieces are a statue of the goddess Kannon from the 10th or 11th century, a fragment of the Hôryû textile from the 8th century, a painting on silk by Monju Bosatsu, which is a Japanese national treasure from the 13th century, a Gyôdô mask from the 12th century, and a Rembrandt engraving from the 17th century.
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Accelerated Buddha, exhibition view
Born in 1948 in Tokyo, Japan, Hiroshi Sugimoto lives and works between Tokyo and New York City. He studied politics and sociology at Rikkyō Univeristy in Tokyo and in 1974 he received a BFA in Fine Arts at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. He is known for his photographs with an 8×10 large-format camera, which often reveal the amount of exposure time used to create them, which tends to be extremely long, requiring sharp attention to detail and technical skill. He is also known for the conceptual and philosophical emphases in his work. Sugimoto is interested in this concept of long exposure time as a symbol of “the transience of life, and the conflict between life and death.” His main inspirations include the writings of Marcel Duchamp, the Dadaist and Surrealist movements, as well as 20th century modern architecture.
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Accelerated Buddha, exhibition view
The current exhibition at Fondation Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent will remain on view through January 26th.
—E. Baker
Related Links:
Exhibition Page [Fondation Pierre Bergé]
