Tokyo and Osaka exhibitions!

Posted 28 Apr 2012 — Category Exhibitions

Tokyo & Osaka exhibition flyer

Le Petit Mignon presents:

“My bell-end ain’t at the top of my shaft”, at Mograg Gallery (Tokyo):
May 12th – May 27th 2012

“My shaft ain’t at the bottom of my bell-end”, at Galaxy Gallery (Osaka):
May 24th – May 29th 2012

About The Exhibition:

Le Petit Mignon is proud to currate his first exhibition abroad featuring a selection of works by artists and grafic designers involved in the underground art scene in Europe. Most of them were, at some point in the past, invited by Le Petit Mignon to present their work on the walls of Berlin based record shop Staalplaat and offered their contribution and their printing skills to a still expanding series of publications released by Le Petit Mignon.

While Japan is technologically one of the most advanced nation in the world, the country is extremely isolated and communications quite often seem to stop at its borders. This paradoxical and unfair phenomenon has been amplified by the nuclear disaster occurring in Fukushima last year. Through the sensibility of Europe based artists transcribed on paper, this exhibition aim to overcome the language barrier and distances, build and maintain an alternative communication bridge and open doors to future engaged collaborations between Europe and Japan.

On this occasion, Le Petit Mignon also wants to encourage Japanese youth to rise against consumerism, build an alternative society and get involved in actions against the criminal politicians governing their country who, just one year after Fukushima’s disaster, keep on lying and endangering the safety of Japanese people.

Both exhibitions will feature deviant art, comic illustrations, screenprints, books & more by following artists and publishers:

-anef (France): anef-prints.blogspot.com
-Zven Balslev (Denmark): cultpump.blogspot.com
-Noémie Barsolle (France): saignante.blogspot.com
-Zeke Clough (U.K): www.zekeclough.com
-crippaXXXalmqvist (Sweden): maximumschreck.blogspot.com
-Le Petit Mignon (Germany): www.lepetitmignon.com
-Mats!? (Sweden): www.matsicko.commatstuff.blogspot.com
-Jeong Hwa Min (South Corea): www.sugarlandparadise.comwww.flickr.com/photos/sugarlandparadise
-Juk Molm (?): lacommissure.free.fr
-Zeloot (The Netherlands): www.zeloot.nl

Locations:
Mograg Gallery (Tokyo): www.mograg.com
Galaxy Gallery (Osaka): www.galaxygallery.info

Japanese press release by Mograg Gallery:

ゴールデンウィーク明けの5月は、Le Petit Mignonプレセンツ“my bell-end ain’t at the top of My shaft”を開催!!
ヨーロッパのアンダーグラウンドアートシーンで活躍するクレイジーな画家やグラフィックデザイナーの作品がmograg garageに大集合します!!!!Le petit Mignonより
参加作家の多くは、これまでにLe Petit Mignonで展示/アートZINEのリリースをしています。
日本は世界でも最先端のテクノロジーを有しているにも関わらず、国際的に孤立し、コミュニケーションは国境で止まっているように見えます。そしてその状況は、昨年福島で生じた核災害によって増幅されました。ヨーロッパを拠点とするアーティスト達の感性で、言葉の壁や距離を乗り越えた新たなコミュニケーションの道を築き、未来へ向けた扉を開きたいと思います。
また、Le Petit Mignonは、日本の若い世代が大量消費社会に立ち向かい新たな道を見付け出し、福島での災害にもかかわらず“安全”について国民を騙し続けている政治家への抗議行動を起こすことを激励します。*Le Petit Mignon とは、ベルリンを拠点とした実験的な音楽のフォーラムであるStaalplaatが主催するギャラリー/レコードレーベル/出版社である。

“Horses”, by Guillaume Soulatges

Posted 13 Jan 2012 — Category Exhibitions

“Horses”, by Guillaume Soulatges

"Horses" flyer

Exhibition duration: 28 January – 22 March 2012

Opening on Saturday, January 28th 19:00/7pm

About The Exhibition:

Guillaume Soulatges has been drawing and working in the field of printing for 10 years. Co-founder of  «Stratégie Alimentaire» (Eating Strategy), a publishing company active in Paris between 2002 and 2008, Soulatges henceforth releases his books by the renowned publisher Le Dernier Cri. He also self-produces fanzines in a DIY spirit. Soulatges is currently collaborating with  Nadia Agnolet in the field of Contemporary Art and working on a book with Berlin based comic drawer and artist CrippaXXX Almqvist to be released in next Spring.

The recurrent themes in Soulatges’ work deal with banality and monstrosity, both considered as a single notion. He uses pictures he reproduces following a scrupulous technique which still leaves space for accidents, resulting in distorted but credible images. Soulatges refuses the usage of any imaginative world and build his work on a repetition principle, on what has been seen before. But these familiar images are also filled with doubt, humour and anguish.

For his first solo exhibition in Berlin, «Horses», a selection of original drawings, screen prints, comic strips, gig posters and old and new sketches will be displayed. Pornographic scenes, family meals, landscapes, animals and anything but horses will be presented side by side.

Links:
Guillaume Soulatges’ homepage: www.guillaumesoulatges.net
Stratégie Alimentaire (RIP): stratalim.free.fr
Soulatges’ book “Les Parties Communes” by Le Dernier Cri: derniercrinews.blogspot.com

Angura 2011, part 2: concerts

Posted 17 Nov 2011 — Category Concerts

Angura:
Experimentelle Kunst und Musik aus Japan

Über “Angura- Experimentelle Kunst und Musik aus Japan”:

Die Veranstaltung „Angura – Experimentelle Kunst und Musik aus Japan“ soll Vertretern der japanischen Undergroundkultur die seltene Gelegenheit bieten, ihre Arbeiten in Berlin zu präsentieren. Hierzu findet eine Ausstellung in der Galerie Le Petit Mignon in Neukölln, sowie ein Konzertabend im
ausland in Prenzlauer Berg im November statt.

Die Ausstellung wird am 15. April 2011 in Anwesenheit der Künstler eröffnet und dauert bis zum 18. Mai. Gezeigt werden Werke von Daisuke Ichiba (Zeichnungen) und Yasutoshi Yoshida (Kollagen, Zeichnungen). Für beide ist dies die erste Ausstellung in Deutschland.

Am 19. November sind folgende Projekte der Musiker Yasutoshi Yoshida, Reiko Azuma und Sumhisa Arima im ausland zu sehen: Government Alpha (Yoshida), Sumihisa Arima, Venus In Virgo (Azuma + Arima), Alpha Ailuros (Yoshida + Azuma). Venus in Virgo und Alpha Ailuros treten zum ersten Mal in Europa auf und sowohl Government Alpha als auch Sumihisa Arima haben ihre letzten Konzerte in Berlin vor vielen Jahren gegeben.

Die Veranstaltung wird kuratiert von Guillaume Siffert und Christoph Petermann. Sie wurde von der Botschaft von Japan in das Programm zum Jubiläum der deutsch-japanischen Beziehungen „150 Jahre Freundschaft Deutschland-Japan“ aufgenommen. Die Ausstellung wurde aus Mitteln der JaDe-Stiftung unterstützt. Der Konzertabend wird gefördert durch das Bezirksamt Pankow von Berlin, Amt für Kultur und Bildung, Fachbereich Kunst und Kultur.

About “Angura- Experimentelle Kunst und Musik aus Japan”:

The event „Angura – Experimental Art And Music From Japan“ is intended as a platform for Japanese underground artists to present their work in Berlin. Angura features an exhibition at the gallery Le Petit Mignon in Neukölln as well as a concert at ausland in Prenzlauer Berg.

The exhibition opens on April 15th 2011 in the presence of the artists and ends on May 18th. The works on display are by Daisuke Ichiba (drawings) and Yasutoshi Yoshida (collages, drawings). The following projects of the musicians Yasutoshi Yoshida, Reiko Azuma and Sumuhisa Arima will take the stage on November 19th: Government Alpha (Yoshida), Sumihisa Arima, Venus In Virgo (Azuma + Arima), Alpha Ailuros (Yoshida + Azuma). Venus in Virgo and Alpha Ailuros perform in Europe for the first time. Government Alpha and Sumihisa Arima have played their last concerts in Berlin many years ago.

The event is curated by Guillaume Siffert and Christoph Petermann. It was recognized by the Japanese embassy as part of the official program “150 Jahre Freundschaft Deutschland-Japan” celebrating the 150th anniversary of German-Japanese diplomatic relations. The exhibition is being supported by the JaDe foundation. The concert is being supported by Bezirksamt Pankow von Berlin, Amt für Kultur und Bildung, Fachbereich Kunst und Kultur.

Angura 2011 konzert

Konzert: Government Alpha, Reiko A. und
Sumihisa Arima: Solos & Duos

19. November 2011

Über den Konzertabend:

Solos und Duos feat.:

Government Alpha (aka Yasutoshi Yoshida / 吉田恭淑)

Seit 1992 entwickelt Yasutoshi Yoshida unter dem Projektnamen Government Alpha seinen eigenen musikalischen Stil. Er kombiniert analoge Instrumente und verzerrte Geräusche mit veralteten Aufnahmetechniken, um eine psychedelische und aggressive Hörerfahrung zu erzeugen. In zahlreichen Kollaborationen mit Musikern verschiedenster Genres lotet Yoshida die Möglichkeiten elektronischer Musik aus; stets auf der Suche nach extremen Klängen. Auch wenn sein Werk dem Harsh Noise zuzuordnen ist, legt Yoshida bei der Komposition eine in der Rockmusik verwurzelte Herangehensweise an den Tag. Dieser Stilmix ist für ihn charakteristisch und wird international ebenso sehr geschätzt wie seine Konzerte, die seit Jahren zu den intensivsten Live-Performances im Bereich der Noisemusik gehören.

Reiko Azuma / 東玲子

Reiko Azuma ist Autorin und darstellende Künstlerin aus Tokyo. Von 1989 bis `99 war sie Mitglied des weltweit wohl bekanntesten Noisemusikprojekts „Merzbow“. Hier betätigte sie sich meist als Sängerin und an elektronischen Instrumenten. Mit Merzbow tourte sie intensiv im Ausland. Inzwischen spielt sie unter dem Namen Reiko A. hauptsächlich Theremin und tritt als Tänzerin auf. Sie arbeitet in zahlreichen Projekten mit anderen Musikern zusammen, so z.B. auch mit Sumihisa Arima im Projekt „Venus in Virgo“.

Sumihisa Arima / 有馬純壽

Umfangreiche Aktivitäten in den Bereichen Noisemusik, Electronica, Improvisierte Musik und zeitgenössische Musik mithilfe von Computern und elektronischen Instrumenten. Er bedient sich verschiedener Präsentationsformen, wie Soundinstallationen, Liveperformances und CD-Veröffentlichungen. Neben Eigenkompositionen führt Arima Werke anderer Komponisten aus den Bereichen elektronische Musik und Computermusik auf (u.a. Cage, Reich, Boulez, Ferneyhough, Joji Yuasa, Toshi Ichiyanagi, Misato Mochizuki) Häufig arbeitet er auch mit bildenden Künstlern zusammen und beteiligt sich an Ausstellungen. Arima ist Mitglied der Shōwa Yonjūnen Kai (Gruppe 1965), die aus international anerkannten japanischen Künstlern besteht, die im Jahr 1965 geboren wurden. Er ist zudem Dozent an der Tezukayama Gakuin Universität.

Concert: Government Alpha, Reiko A. and Sumihisa Arima: Solos & Duos

November 19th 2011

About the concert evening:

Solos and Duos feat.:

Government Alpha (aka Yasutoshi Yoshida / 吉田恭淑)

Yasutoshi Yoshida has been developing his own musical style under the moniker of Government Alpha since 1992. Combining analog instruments and distorted sounds with outdated recording techniques, he creates a psychedelic and aggressive listening experience. In his many collaborations with musicians from various backgrounds Yoshida sounds out the possibilities of electronic music, always searching for extremes. Although his work is classified as harsh noise, Yoshida’s approach is deeply rooted in rock music. This particular mix of styles is characteristic for Government Alpha and is highly regarded all around the world. His concerts belong to the most intense live performances in noise music.

Reiko Azuma / 東玲子

Reiko Azuma is an author and performing artist from Tokyo. From 1989 to `99 she joined the legendary noise project Merzbow for live performances on electronics and voice. In this context she toured abroad extensively. Now she plays solo as a dancer, voice performer and electronics player and collaborates with other artists, such as Sumihisa Arima and Yasutoshi Yoshida.

Sumihisa Arima / 有馬純壽

Sumihisa Arima was born in 1965. His wide ranged activities include noise music, electronica and contemporary music utilizing the computer and electronics. Arima performs both in Japan and Europe. He presents his work in the shape of sound installations, live performances, CD releases etc. Arima has been active in many collaborations with fine artists and participated in various art exhibitions. He is a member of “The Group 1965″ consists of internationally acclaimed artists in Japan who were all born in 1965. Arima is an Associate Professor of Tezukayama Gakuin Unversity in Japan.

 

“Rich Shit/Poor Shit”, by James Unsworth

Posted 08 Nov 2011 — Category Exhibitions

“Rich Shit/Poor Shit”, by James Unsworth

"Rich Shit/Poor Shit" flyer

Exhibition duration: 18 November 2011 – 19 January 2012

Opening on Friday, November 18th, 19:00/7pm

About The Exhibition:

James Unsworth opens his first Berlin solo exhibition this November featuring over 70 finely detailed ink pen drawings displayed within large wall paintings.

Fueled by research into the history of grotesque art, inversion and incongruity, Unsworth’s drawings deal with the fundamental subjects of life, death and sex.
On one level they are an honest attempt to explore man’s civilising of himself beyond his nature, on another they are depictions of juvenile erotic grotesque nonsense.

The unifying motif in this exhibition is the depiction of shit, the paradoxical element that like knowledge itself both fertilizes and poisons.

On one side lies the rich man’s discourse, which associates the poor with the vile, the vulgar, the corrupt – in other words, with shit. On the other side lies the poor man’s law, which suspects corruption within luxury and wealth at the source of stench.

- Dominique Laporte, History of Shit, 1978

London-based artist James Unsworth graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2006 and has since gone on to exhibit extensively within the UK and Internationally, including solo exhibitions in London, Paris, Sydney and Tel-Aviv.

He has exhibited alongside Andy Warhol, Peter Blake, Keith Haring,Jake and Dinos Chapman, Chris Ofili, Gavin Turk, George Condo and Olaf Breuning.

Links:
James Unsworth’s homepage: www.jamesunsworth.com
James Unsworth’s blog: www.jamesunsworth.blogspot.com

“Kibun” group show

Posted 16 Sep 2011 — Category Exhibitions

“Kibun”, a Japanese Low Blow Art Exhibition in Berlin

"Kibun" flyer

Exhibition duration: 23 September – 16 November 2011

Opening on Friday, September 23rd, 19:00/7pm

About The Exhibition:

Following Daisuke Ichiba and Yasutoshi Yoshida exhibition in April this year, Le Petit Mignon is proud to host again selected works by artists and graphic designers of the Tokyo underground scene. Currated by extreme laptop musician and manga writer and designer Maruosa, “Kibun” will open on Friday September 23rd in the presence of some of the artists, featuring Live Painting, Djs and Live Act(s) (Dj Kwatsch, Michail Stangi -Aera Boy-, MSG).

“What image do you have of Japan?

Through this exhibition, the values that you see as representative of Japan will be transformed. Real low blow art (Low Blow Art) of Japan is coming to Berlin, and not just the Otaku scene that you might expect.

Life has been very unstable since the big earthquake, but we will maintain consistent power by reflecting this huge negative energy.

Ladies and gentlemen, please feel our current “Feelings (KIBUN).”

「あなたは日本に対してどのようなイメージを持っていますか?」
今回のエキシビジョンであなたの価値観はアップデートされるでしょう。
“オタク”という言葉ではひとくくりに出来ない、日本のリアルローブローアート(Low Blow Art)が ベルリンに集結します。

大地震以降、私たちは不安定な環境での生活を強いられるようになりました。
しかし、その巨大な負のエネルギーを跳ね返すくらいのパワーを私たちはこれからも持ち続けるでしょう。

皆さん、今の私たちの”気分(KIBUN)” を感じ取ってください。

Links:
Eru Arizono / Emu Arizono (Hamadaraka): www.myspace.com/hamadaraka_emuwww.myspace.com/hamadaraka_eru
Kosuke Kawamura (Zaide / Erect Magazine): ameblo.jp/zaide
oki_chu.: oki-chu.com
Punk Drunkers 主宰 親方: www.punk-d.com
Pyoshifumix Taniuchi: wilddenpa.akazunoma.com
Erect Magazine: www.erect-magazine.com
Mograg magazine (by Mograg Garage): mograg.com

“Mullin Mallin” by Hockey Rawk

Posted 18 Jul 2011 — Category Exhibitions

“Mullin Mallin”
an exhibition by Hockey Rawk

"Mullin Mallin" flyer

Exhibition duration: 27 July – 25 August 011

Opening on Wednesday, July 27th, 19:00/7pm

About The Exhibition:

“Mullin Mallin is an exhibition that will primarily be focusing on the collaboration between the duo P. Larsson and L. Nilsson behind the Hockey Rawk moniker.

Hockey Rawk started in 2006 on the Swedish Island of Gotland and now have a catalogue of 36 releases which includes CDs, tapes, books and zines with their drawings and collages. “Creativity and fun” is some sort of motto for the gruesome twosome. Some of these releases have been collaborations, some have been solo works. Mullin Mallin will consist mainly of collaborations: collages, drawings, screen prints, puppets and various forms of weirdness.

Mullin Mallin means, if I’m not misinformed, “jumbled” or “higgledy-piggledy” in Finnish, and can been seen as some sort of (hidden) theme for the exhibition.”

Links:
Hockey Rawk: www.hockey-rawk.com
Peter Larsson on Vimeo: vimeo.com/peterlarsson

Catoblépas vs L’Auberge Floue

Posted 17 Jun 2011 — Category Exhibitions

“Catoblépas vs L’Auberge Floue”

"Catoblépas vs L'Auberge Floue flyer

Exhibition duration: 18 June – 21 July 2011

Opening on Saturday, June 18th, 19:00/7pm

About The Exhibition:

The exhibition will be opened on June 18th in the presence of 3 of the artists and end on July 21st.

Works on display are by two French DIY collectives and silkscreen studios, Catoblépas (Paris) and L’Auberge Floue (Marseille): original drawings, paintings, silkscreened posters, record covers and books where profanity meets destruction and psychedelic universes.

In the past few years, aside from numerous self-published graphzines and limited hand-printed artbooks, their works have been released on the renowned French underground publishers Le Dernier Cri, Les Requins Marteaux and Stéphane Blanquet’s United Dead Artists. The following artists will take part of the exhibition: Sam Rictus (aka Doombishop), Jurictus Necato, Patrick Lombe, Fabien Lopez, Thierry Cheyrol, Judex and Freddy Duries.

Links:
L’Auberge Floue: aubergefloue.blogspot.com
Catoblépas and Sam Rictus: samrictus.canalblog.com
Freddy Duries: duries.canalblog.com

Jurictus Necato: jurictus.canalblog.com
Le Dernier Cri: www.lederniercri.org
Les Requins Marteaux: lesrequinsmarteaux.over-blog.com
United Dead Artists www.lewub.com/udaroom

Mark Clifton & Benedikt Rugar design t-shirts

Posted 21 May 2011 — Category New Apparel

Mark Clifton design t-shirt (LPM07)
‘The Psychodelikcocks’
your mum f++cked E.T. and chopped the head off tour 2011

Mark Clifton design t-shirt

Slim-fit T-Shirt 100% organic wool, black design silkscreened on white or grey textile, ltd. 100ex.
Available in 3 different sizes: M, L and XL
20eur

Mark Clifton: www.flickr.com/people/turbochainsaw

 

Benedikt Rugar design t-shirt (LPM08)
“Duff”

Benedikt Rugar design t-shirt

Slim-fit T-Shirt 100% organic wool, black or red design silkscreened on white textile, ltd. 100ex.
Available in 3 different sizes: M, L and XL
20eur

Benedikt Rugar: www.benediktrugar.de

“Wet Cartoons” by Drippy Bone Books & Wildsmile Studios

Posted 18 May 2011 — Category Exhibitions

“Wet Cartoons”
an exhibition by Drippy Bone Books and Wildsmile Studios

"Wet Cartoons flyer

Exhibition duration: 21 May – 16 June 2011

Opening on Saturday, May 21st, 19:00/7pm

About The Exhibition:

Wet Cartoons is a retrospective show celebrating 5 years of Drippy Bone Books zine and comics publishing. Started in 2007 by artists Kristy Foom and Mario Zoots as a way to catalog the underground art scene happening in Denver, Colorado and other cities in the US, over the years it’s become a strong platform for collaborating with artists involved in underground comics, illustration, video, music, and design. Keenan Marshall Keller, a comic artist based in Los Angeles, joined Foom and Zoots in 2008. Each artist prints and pays for the publications they release under the hood name Drippy Bone Books. All editions are small run varying from 10 – 100 copies. Living in different cities, publications are now released from Los Angeles, Denver and Amsterdam. The name Drippy Bone Books was inspired by the comic Oops Goops (2006) drawn by David Magdelano and Brian Bamps of Los Angeles.

Wet Cartoons refers to the looseness of the Drippy Bone Books publishing project, and how it’s a liquid mirror on some contemporary underground communities. The show will feature books from the Drippy Bone Books archive and video art and prints from Kristy Foom, Mario Zoots and Keenan Marshall Keller. Publications still available will be for sale.

Wildsmile studios is a Dresden-based network project, which operates a fine manual screenprint and promotes a variety of projects such as the International Sticker Awards or the art space C. Rockefeller Center for the Contemporary Arts.
In the last 5 years the posters and propaganda for the events of the in-house sound system R.I.Z.L.A and other diverse and manifold artistic on-and-off productions are designed screen-printed there. Because the archive is currently being renovated, it was decided to outsource the posters and prints, without further ado, to the rooms of Berlins Le Petit Mignon (Staalpaat store). The move of the collection is accompanied by caribbean folklore music.

Links:
Drippy Bone Books: www.drippybonebooks.com
Wildsmile Studios: www.wildsmile.de

Daisuke Ichiba & Yasutoshi Yoshida exhibition

Posted 07 Apr 2011 — Category Exhibitions

Angura:
Experimentelle Kunst und Musik aus Japan

"Angura exhibition flyer

Ausstellung: Daisuke Ichiba und Yasutoshi Yoshida

15. April – 18. Mai 2011

Über “Angura- Experimentelle Kunst und Musik aus Japan”:

Die Veranstaltung „Angura – Experimentelle Kunst und Musik aus Japan“ soll Vertretern der japanischen Undergroundkultur die seltene Gelegenheit bieten, ihre Arbeiten in Berlin zu präsentieren. Hierzu findet eine Ausstellung in der Galerie Le Petit Mignon in Neukölln, sowie ein Konzertabend im ausland in Prenzlauer Berg im November statt.

Die Ausstellung wird am 15. April 2011 in Anwesenheit der Künstler eröffnet und dauert bis zum 18. Mai. Gezeigt werden Werke von Daisuke Ichiba (Zeichnungen) und Yasutoshi Yoshida (Kollagen, Zeichnungen). Für beide ist dies die erste Ausstellung in Deutschland. Die Veranstaltung wird kuratiert von Guillaume Siffert und Christoph Petermann. Sie wurde von der Botschaft von Japan in das Programm zum Jubiläum der deutsch-japanischen Beziehungen „150 Jahre Freundschaft Deutschland-Japan“ aufgenommen und wird aus Mitteln der JaDe-Stiftung unterstützt.

About “Angura- Experimentelle Kunst und Musik aus Japan”:

The event „Angura – Experimental Art And Music From Japan“ is intended as a platform for Japanese underground artists to present their work in Berlin. Angura will feature an exhibition at the gallery Le Petit Mignon in Neukölln as well as a concert at Ausland in Prenzlauer Berg.

The exhibition will be opened on April 15th 2011 in the presence of the artists and end on May 18th. The works on display are by Daisuke Ichiba (drawings) and Yasutoshi Yoshida (collages, drawings). For both artists this will be the first exhibition in Germany. The event is curated by Guillaume Siffert and Christoph Petermann. It was recognized by the Japanese embassy as part of the official program “150 Jahre Freundschaft Deutschland-Japan” celebrating the 150th anniversary of German-Japanese diplomatic relations. The exhibition is being supported by the JaDe foundation.

Über die Ausstellung:

Daisuke Ichibas Bilder sind brutal und schön zugleich. Seine Malerei beschreibt eine filigrane Welt, heimgesucht von japanischen Phantasmen und den Absurditäten moralischer Widersprüche; eine Welt, in der Jugend und Sexualität sich vermischen mit Verdorbenheit und Tod. Der Betrachter wird zum heimlichen Beobachter verbotener Szenen, so als stünde eine Tür zu einer grausigen Vergangenheit einen Spalt weit offen. Ichiba will jedoch nicht bloß schockieren, zu seinem Ansatz sagt er: „Menschen verkörpern gleichzeitig Zärtlichkeit und Brutalität. Wenn man das Gesicht einer schönen Frau abschält, stellt man fest, dass es voller Eingeweide steckt. Bewusst Werke zu erschaffen, die nur schön sind, fühlt sich künstlich an. Daher male ich beides. Man kann das eine nicht vom anderen trennen. Was dabei herauskommt ist eine natürliche Unordnung. In meinem Werk projiziere ich Chaos, Anarchie, Angst, das Groteske, das Absurde und das Irrationale. Hierdurch erreiche ich Harmonie. Dies ist meine Kunst. Vereinfacht gesagt, zeichne ich die Menschlichkeit.“ Ichibas Werke sind unter anderem im renommierten französischen Undergroundverlag Le Dernier Cri erschienen.

Yasutoshi Yoshida ist seit 1992 unter dem Namen Government Alpha als Musiker aktiv. In diesem Zusammenhang begann er, von Futurismus und Retroästhetik inspirierte Collagen für die Cover seiner CD-Veröffentlichungen zu gestalten. Bald darauf folgten Arbeiten für andere Musiker. 2008 und 2009 fanden in Japan erste Ausstellungen seiner Werke statt. In diesem Jahr hat er Illustrationen und das Titelbild für den Roman „Burn Your Belongings“ des amerikanischen Schriftstellers David Hoenigman gestaltet, der am 13. Dezember 2010 bei Jaded Ibis Productions (Seattle) erschienen ist. Die Verleger waren von Yoshidas über 190 Illustrationen derart begeistert, dass das ganze Buch, anders als ursprünglich geplant, in Vollfarbe gedruckt wurde.

About the exhibition:

Daisuke Ichibas Daisuke Ichiba has been active as an underground artist since the early nineties. In his images delicate beauty clashes with grotesque violence. “Humans simultaneously combine tenderness and violence. If you peel back the face of a beautiful woman you see it is clogged with viscera. Choosing to create work that is only beautiful feels artificial. Thus I paint both. You cannot sever the two. The expression that results is a natural chaos. In my work I project chaos, anarchy, anxiety, the grotesque, the absurd, and the irrational. By doing so I attain harmony. This is my art. Put simply, I paint humanity (the spirit).” Some of his works have been printed by the renowned French silk-screen publisher Le Dernier Cri.

Yasutoshi Yoshida has been playing music under the moniker of Government Alpha since 1992. It was in this context that he began creating collages inspired by futurism and retro-aesthetics for the cover artwork of his CD releases. Works for other musicians soon followed. 2008 and 2009 his works were first shown in exhibitions in Japan. In 2010 he designed the cover artwork and contributed illustrations to the novel Burn Your Belongings by the American author David Hoenigman, which was published by Jaded Ibis Productions (Seattle). The editors were so impressed by Yoshidas more than 190 illustrations that they decided to release it in full-color, not as originally planned in black and white.

Links: