07.12.2024 Views

Jonathan Watkins

Conversation with Jonathan Watkins, former Director, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham

Conversation with Jonathan Watkins, former Director, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham

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and the struggle between extremes of fantasy and

nightmare, ideal and real take place. But what do you see

as the concerns or overriding themes of an emerging

generation of Japanese artists?

JW: Again, I’m not particularly qualified to talk about it.

But certainly, it is the kind of attitude I like to encounter.

Interestingly, David Elliott was the curator of such a show,

after his experience. I envy him! How rare to have

someone like him from abroad to be the director of a

major museum like Mori Art Museum.

KW: Well, I thought it was quite remarkable. Japan is very

inward-looking and can be overly protective. And to have

him as a director, I think he was there for 5 years?

JW: Yes, I think he had a 5-year contract and well, it could

be said that Japan has reverted to type, foreign influence

is excluded and now we have more homogeneity within

such an institution. Let me just read what everybody is

saying here, “big generation of suicide, Hikikomori.” what

is that? And Otaku, I know.

KW: Hikikomori, is acute social withdrawal.

JW: It is very interesting what is happening. Japan is

rather dysfunctional nowadays, especially concerning

young men. The neat idea of the salaryman, who gets up

in a dormitory suburb, gets on to the train, and goes to

town to work, is being increasingly challenged.

KW: If we look at the younger generation of the artists,

some you may have met, or have come into contact with

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