Title: Rei Naito I have Lived
Author: Rei Naito, Kazuko Koike
Photographer: Naoya Hatakeyama
Design: Toshimasa Kimura
Language: Japanese/English
Publisher : HeHe
Size: A5 size
"Tokyo Biennale 2020/2021" was held in 2021, mainly in the city of Tokyo.
Rei Naito's work "I have lived" was created in response to the words "Pray to Tokyo" uttered by general director Kazuko Koike.
On March 10, 1945, in the eastern area of central Tokyo, where more than 100,000 people were killed in the Great Tokyo Air Raid, Naito traced the memories and traces of the war that still remain, and visited the grounds of Choo-in Temple in Kuramae. We placed a small humanoid sculpture "hito(person)" in the Kurenboh Gallery and offered water to the cenotaph in the cemetery. In addition, by placing "people" in the underground air raid shelter inside the elementary school where children evacuated during the war and which is still in use today, we will bring to light the wartime memories of the surrounding area, and provide repose for the past and the future. We have created a space of dedication and prayer.
A person turns his body toward light in the darkness. The "hito(person)" created for the first time in 2011 is a person that stands quietly, encompassing everything that exists: me and you, life and death, inside and outside, past and present. When you are in front of someone, you will think of various things and a variety of emotions will be aroused.
This book is based on Naoya Hatakeyama's photographs and Kazuko Koike's book, which is based on the belief that no matter what happens, people live until the moment they die. This is a book based on the text.
At the time, the venue required reservations and some parts were closed to the public, so this is the first time that the full scope of the work has been revealed.
Rei Naito
Born in Hiroshima in 1961. Artist. Major solo exhibitions include "A Place on Earth" at Saga Town Exhibit Space (Tokyo, 1991), "A Place on Earth" at the Japan Pavilion at the 47th Venice Biennale (1997), and "Being Called" in Carmel. Monastery of the Society (Frankfurt, Curated by Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art, 1997), “All animals exist in the world just like water in water,” Kanagawa Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura (2009), “ "Emotions of Faith" Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum (2014), "Emotions of Faith" Japan Cultural Institute, Paris (2017), "Two Lives" Tel Aviv Museum of Art (2017), "On the Bright Earth I Can See You" Mito Art Museum Contemporary Art Gallery (2018), “Creating Together” 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (2020), “Breath” Munich State Prints and Drawings Museum (2023). Permanent works include "Konoto wo" House Project Kinza, Naoshima (Kagawa, 2001) and "Matrix" Teshima Museum of Art (Kagawa, 2010).
Exhibition
Rei Naito “Be Born, Stay Alive”
Venue: Tokyo National Museum, Heiseikan Special Exhibition Room, Main Building Special Room 5, 1st Floor Lounge
Period: June 25, 2024 Sun – September 23
https://www.tnm.jp/modules/r_free_page/index.php?id=2637