To ensure the success of its maiden edition, Tokyo Gendai, Japan’s first major international art fair, is sparing no expense. The show revealed last month that it had successfully obtained a tax exemption from the Japanese government for its exhibitors.
Those in charge of the next Tokyo Gendai art fair are providing a significant incentive for foreign exhibitors interested in doing business in Japan. The foreign participating galleries do not have to pay the 10 per cent sales tax on each artwork brought into Japan before any potential sale because the fair has “bonded” status. The sales tax is only collected at the register if a deal is made.
Recent changes to Japan’s customs legislation have made it possible to establish bonded regions to facilitate the trading of art. Other expos should also be eligible for bonded status.
“This announcement will help Tokyo Gendai over the coming years to open the doors to international exhibitors and demonstrates Japan’s dedication to deepening its engagement with the global art world and further developing its local art market,” said fair co-founder Magnus Renfrew.
Gendai’s organisers place a premium on a central Tokyo location because they want the fair to serve as a gateway to the city’s many museums, galleries, and other cultural attractions. Renfrew says that plans are in the works for future editions of the fair to collaborate with local museums to present significant exhibitions timed to the fair, such as the National Art Centre’s Cai Guo-Qiang: Ramble in the Cosmos—From Primaeval Fireball Onward (on view until August 21st). Even so, the Mori Art Museum and the Terrada Art Complex will be open to VIP visitors for the first edition, as will the vibrant Roppongi neighbourhood.
Renfrew claims that the fair’s advisory board, including some of the country’s most prominent art collectors, has been instrumental in supporting the event. Among them are Yoshiko Mori, the late real estate mogul’s wife and the daughter of the man who created the Mori Art Museum, and Ryutaro Takahashi, a therapist whose collection of over 2,000 pieces has been shown across the world.
As part of the opening festivities, artist Ryuichi Ohira will reveal his brand-new, massive installation designed specifically for Tokyo Gendai. Tanabata (the Star Event) is a traditional Japanese and Chinese event held annually on July 7th, the fair’s opening day. The Circuit will consist of a big slot-car racetrack on which various artefacts and artworks are placed. At the same time, a special section of the fair will feature the work of modern Japanese women artists. Works by artists such as Leiko Ikemura, Tomoko Yoneda, Ayaka Yamamoto, Kunié Sugiura, and Yurie Nagashima will be on display at an exhibition organised by Artizon Museum deputy director Michiko Kasahara and Tokyo Photographic Art Museum curator Yuri Yamada.
Pacifico Yokohama will host the fair from July 7–9, including a special preview for VIPs on July 6th. There are 74 galleries taking part in this first-ever event.
Image Courtesy: Takashi Miyazaki, Unsplash
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