Jan. 24-Feb. 29
After studying aesthetics and psychology, the conceptual artist James Lee Byars (1932-1997) developed his own artistic beliefs while going back and forth between New York and Kyoto in the 1960s and during his later nomadic life. His works ranged from sculpture and literature to theater and performance, and focused on the intangible — that which lies between the material and spiritual — often with a reference to classicism.
This solo exhibition features works produced during his travels in Japan, as well as various major pieces selected from collections overseas. Highlights include “The Poetic Conceit” (1983), an installation consisting of a replica of the neoclassical “Geothe in the Roman Campagna” (1787) by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein hung over an altar-like space covered in black fabric.
SCAI the Bathhouse; Kashiwayu-Ato 6-1-23 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo. Nippori Stn. 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Free. Closed Sun., Mon., holidays. 03-3821-1144; www.scaithebathhouse.com/en
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