Big cities like London, New York, Paris, and even Chicago and Berlin, all have art fairs, and art there is like an industry. The founder of Art Fair Tokyo wanted to have the same kind of art fair in Tokyo. They first tried in 1992, but maybe Japan just wasn't ready yet. So, in 2005 they relaunched the project. This year, it's shaping up to be bigger than ever.
Q: What is slowing the development of the contemporary market in Japan?
A: There is no historical connection with the past. In the Meiji and Taisho periods, people were still collecting and supporting artists. Then, sometime after World War II they forgot about it. But from the exhibition numbers, you can see that they (Japanese people) are still going to museums and love art.
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Interview With The Creators of Art Fair Tokyo
Art Fair Tokyo takes place from Tuesday, April 10, 2007 to Thursday April 12, 2007 at the Tokyo International Forum.
Official Site:
Art Fair Tokyo