Notes from IAAF 2008, NYC

This year the International Asian Art Fair started on March 14 at a new venue on the corner of 63^rd Street on Park Avenue.

Although the organizers had created three floors on a beautiful building that is used as a church (a Christian Science Reading Room), the number of exhibitors were less than usual 33 and it created an intimate atmosphere. Being one of the exhibitors I felt cozy in the basement as we had a corner stand that worked out perfectly for the works of a Japanese sculptor, Satoshi Yabuuchi. This year my colleague Shinseido-Hatanaka Gallery and I decided to do a solo exhibition of a popular Manga sculptor Satoshi Yabuuchi.

One highlight of the Asia Week in New York was the Christies’ auction on March 18^th as there was a 800-year-old sculpture of Buddha by one of the most famous Buddhist sculptors in Japan, Unkei. To the Japanese people Unkei is considered like Michalangelo to the Italians. He is a sculptor of that caliber.

This sculpture had an interesting story as the collector who was selling the work at Christies acquired it only a few years ago in Japan for only $10,000 from an antique dealer. Neither of them was aware that this piece was of a historical importance. When the collector showed it to the Tokyo National Museum to have the piece examined it turned out to be a work by Unkei. It is very rare a Buddhist sculpture of this importance has been hidden for such a long time. It would have certainly been assigned as important cultural property or a national treasure if the Ministry of Culture was aware of it. However once it became important cultural property or a national treasure then one is not allowed to take the art work out of Japan.

So the collector who bought this sculpture decided to sell it at Christies and Japanese government was not able to put their foot on it. Christies’ estimate for the piece was $1.5 million to $2.5 million. Our government offered this collector $4 million for the piece in order the statue could remain in Japan. However, the owner refused this offer and thus the Unkei’s statue was sold at Christies on March 18^th.

It fetched $14.300,000. The bidder was a young lady, quite noticeable as she was standing at the back of the auction room. Apparently the young lady was representing Mitsukoshi Department Store, a Japanese flag ship department store such as Harrods of London, and therefore everyone thought Mitsukoshi bought the sculpture. However the truth of the matter was they were bidding on behalf of a religious organization Shinnyo-en.

There was an article in New York Times (March 26) that said:

The Shinnyo-en temple said it bought the sculpture of the Dainichi Nyorai, or supreme Buddha, with donations from the faithful because it did not want the icon to fall into foreign hands.

This year during the Asian Week in March 46 NYC Museums and galleries joined together to give interesting shows on Asian artists. The Asian contemporary art scene in New York was very vivid and a wonderful opportunity for me to learn more about other Asian cultures.

Geographically, Japan is part of Asia but somehow we are flooded with information of what is going on in the US and in Europe but not much on other countries of Asia. In Tokyo we hardly ever see exhibitions of contemporary Asian artists.

Yes, it is wonderful to be in New York to have easy access to interesting exhibitions of Asian arts of the past and present. It has certainly given me a greater perspective on the Asian art scene.