I've always thought that the "Roppongi Crossing" exhibitions try too hard. They take themselves too seriously and usually end up missing the point. Held every three years at the Mori Art Museum, the shows bring together heavily curated selections of contemporary art in an attempt to take the artistic pulse of Japan.
The problem, however, is that the pulse is often deceptive or vague — or possibly the curators have their stethoscopes on the wrong part of Japan's artistic anatomy — with the result that they are tempted to resort to shock tactics.
This year, the artistic equivalent of applying an AED has been the decision to turn the curatorial thrust of the show over to a couple of foreign guest curators, Reuben Keehan from Australia and Gabriel Ritter from America, with a bit of guidance and localization from the Mori's own Mami Kataoka.