If you’re not fazed by the possibility of being deeply unsettled, catching a performance by the Japanese artist known as Saeborg (a self-styled “imperfect cyborg that is half human and half toy”), at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, should be a good Golden Week outing.
The performance is part of a two-person exhibition, alongside Ishikawa Prefecture-based artist Michiko Tsuda, which presents the conclusion of the 2022-24 cycle of the Tokyo Contemporary Art Award.
The uncommon dual recipient format of the award, which has the quality of a research grant rather than an accolade, is a strong point of the TCAA, in the sense that it potentially promotes more critical viewing. The award process is also notable for supporting “mid-career” artists, something relatively rare in the art scene, and even more so in Japan. Historically, funding programs here tend to favor organizations, rather than individuals. Money then trickles down to young and emerging artists, who receive exposure and financial support for the duration of a biennale or festival, but are left to sink or swim between gigs.