國府理氏は２０１４年４月２９日、国際芸術センター青森（設計安藤忠雄）で開催中の展覧会『國府理展 相対温室』において展示作品の点検中の事故で亡くなられました。展覧会が始まって３日目の事故で展覧会はその後閉会となりました。享年４４歳、これからを期待されながらのあまりにも突然の死でした。ギャラリーエークワッドでは、３回忌にあたる本年春に彼がたどってきた道を振り返り、作品の背景にある思想や制作意図などを探りたいと考えました。
今回の展示は、国際芸術センター青森で展示された作品《相対温室》などをできるだけ忠実に再現展示するとともに、その他の作品やドローイングなども加えて展示・紹介をいたします。
１９７０年生まれの國府氏は、自動車や自転車あるいはプロペラなどいわゆる工業製品を扱った多くの作品を手掛けてきました。その多くが、動きを伴ったものでした。一方で、その中に草木を植えたり水や水蒸気をといった自然現象を取り込んで、人工と自然を対比させその関係性そのものに作品の軸を置いてきました。しかしその関係性は対立する関係ではなく“共存”を前提としたものでした。その共存できる仕組み『メカニズム』を考え出すことこそ、國府理氏の創作の原点があったのではないでしょうか。
彼の作品作りの現場は、アトリエというよりは作業場といった感じが強いものでした。その制作過程を見ていると“ものづくり”の技と精神に満ち満ちています。モノそのものが持っている本質や魅力を最大限に引き出し、格闘している様は芸術家の創作活動というよりは、“純粋労働作業”といった方が良いかもしれません。素材を厳選し細部までこだわり自身の手で作り続けてきた彼の制作スタイルは、デジタル時代の中では特異なその意味で貴重な存在だったと言えます。
この展覧会を通じて、國府理氏の世界観を追体験しその作品や思想を改めて俯瞰したいと考えています。
展覧会開催にあたりましては、國府家の皆様や、国際芸術センター青森はじめ多くの方々のご協力・ご尽力をいただきました。ここに改めまして感謝の意を表したいと思います。
On 29th April 2014, Osamu Kokufu died in an accident while inspecting an exhibit in the event “KOKUFU Osamu Solo Exhibition: Floating Conservatory” being held at the Aomori Contemporary Art Centre. As a result of the accident, the exhibition was closed on its 3rd day after opening. This was a very sudden death at the age of 44, when he had so much to look forward to in life. On the occasion of the second anniversary of his death in spring this year, at GALLERY A4 we want to do a review of the journey that he has travelled on, and explore the ideas behind his works and his intentions in creating them.
At this exhibition Floating Conservatory and other works that were exhibited at the Aomori Contemporary Art Centre will be re-exhibited as faithfully as possible, and in addition other works, drawings, etc., will be exhibited.
Kokufu, who was born in 1970, produced many works that dealt with industrial products such as automobiles, bicycles, propellers, etc. Most of these also moved. On the other hand, natural phenomena such as growing plants and water or steam were incorporated into the works, producing a contrast between the arti cial and the natural, so that the focus of the work became the relationship between the two. However this relationship was not assumed to be one of confrontation, but of “co-existence”. By working out the “mechanism” of this co-existence, Kokufu seemed to bestow a faint hope on the feeling of despair towards industrial society.
The place where he produced his works was more like a workshop that an artist’s studio. To look at, his production process was full of the skills and spirit of “manufacturing”. It probably appeared to be more like “pure manual labor” than the creative activities of an artist struggling to bring out to the maximum extent the nature and attraction of the object itself. In this digital age his working style in which he carefully selected the materials and continuously produced by his own hand down to the last detail is peculiar, and therefore valuable.
Through this exhibition we hope to relive the experience of Kokufu’s world view and to regain a perspective on his works and ideas.
In organizing this exhibition we received the co-operation and assistance of many, in particular the Kokufu family and the Aomori Contemporary Art Centre. We would like to take the opportunity here to express our thanks once again to everyone.