「我的重點在於『觀察』。我觀察你、觀察自己以及其他所有人，就像醫生觀察豚鼠一樣。」—工藤哲巳

此次在豪瑟沃斯香港畫廊舉辦的「工藤哲巳：籠子」展覽，將首次在大中華地區展出他的重要作品。

“My main concern is ‘observation.’ I observe you, myself, and all other human beings the same way a doctor observes guineapigs.” — Tetsumi Kudo

This exhibition, “Tetsumi Kudo: Cage,” held at the Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong, will showcase his significant works for the first time in the Greater China.

Why it matters?

日本戰後時代出色的藝術家工藤哲巳，以其對生活的深刻觀察而聞名。透過結合日常中隨處可見的材料，並以生命百態為題材，以觀察者般的視角描繪人性面相深邃的一面。他的藝術生涯跨越四十年，他的作品透過結合現成材料的生物形態雕塑與集合藝術，探討殖民主義、種族主義、社會凝聚力及環境退化等主題。此次在豪瑟沃斯香港畫廊舉辦的「工藤哲巳：籠子」展覽，將首次在大中華地區展出他的重要作品。展覽突出展示了1966至1980年間創作的標誌性「籠子系列」，這一系列作品透過日常物品的創意再組合，探討自然、科技與人類之間的關係，並對大眾消費的擴張與科技的崛起提出深刻的社會詰問。

Tetsumi Kudo, a prominent post-war Japanese artist, is renowned for his profound observations of life. By integrating materials commonly found in daily life and depicting the various facets of life as its subjects, he portrays the profound aspects of human nature from the perspective of an observer. His artistic career spans over forty years, and his oeuvre addresses themes of colonialism, racism, social cohesion, and environmental degradation through biomorphic sculptures and assemblages incorporating found materials. This exhibition at Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong gallery marks the first presentation of his significant works in the Greater China region. The exhibition prominently features the iconic “Cage Series” created between 1966 and 1980, which, through the creative recombination of everyday objects, explores the relationship between nature, technology, and humanity and poses profound societal questions on the expansion of mass consumption and the rise of technology.

香港M+博物館副總監及總策展人鄭道鍊對工藤哲巳的評價極高，認為他的裝飾語言具有啟發性，能夠引導人們從根本上反思人、自然及技術的關係。

Zheng Daolian, the deputy director and chief curator of the Hong Kong M+ Museum, holds Tetsumi Kudo in high regard, believing that his decorative language is enlightening and can lead people to fundamentally rethink the relationships among humans, nature, and technology.

4 Hightlights:

• 在此次展覽中，特別值得關注的作品之一是1966年的《為你的客廳而作-為了懷舊》，這件作品巧妙地將鳥籠與其他日常物品結合，形成一個富有隱喻與象徵意義的藝術空間。工藤在此作品中運用藥物和生殖器的象徵，揭示了人類在更大的系統中被觀察、餵養或控制的情況，同時批評了大規模生產和資本主義的非人性影響。
• One of the particularly noteworthy works in this exhibition is the 1966 piece “For Your Living Room – For Nostalgia,” which ingeniously combines bird cages with other daily objects, creating a metaphorically rich and symbolic artistic space. In this piece, Kudo uses symbols of medicine and genitalia, revealing the conditions under which humans are observed, fed, or controlled within a larger system, while also criticizing the dehumanizing effects of mass production and capitalism.

• 工藤哲巳在 1960 年代開始運用「籠子」元素，將鳥籠視為日常物品的深層象徵，認為人類被巨大組織系統「餵養」、觀察和控制，如同寵物。他的作品《為你的客廳而作——為了懷舊》中，籠子裝滿了類似繭蛹和生殖器的形象，而盛器中的不是食物而是藥丸，這反映了他對當代社會的批判觀點。
• Starting in the 1960s, Kudo began using the “cage” element, viewing bird cages as a profound symbol of everyday objects, suggesting that humans are “fed,” observed, and controlled by large organizational systems, much like pets. In his work “For Your Living Room – For Nostalgia,” the cage is filled with images resembling cocoons and genitalia. In contrast, the containers are filled with pills instead of food, reflecting his critical view of contemporary society.

• 工藤在 1962 年的「Yomiuri Independent」展覽中，以生殖器形象填滿東京大都會美術館，挑戰當時的藝術界。他將男性生殖器以「陽痿」姿態展示，象徵日本政府的無能，同時指出人類的無節制繁殖和慾望導致的道德和生態衰敗。
• In the 1962 “Yomiuri Independent” exhibition, Kudo filled the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art with images of genitalia, challenging the art scene of the time. He displayed male genitalia in an “impotent” posture, symbolizing the incompetence of the Japanese government, while also highlighting the moral and ecological decay caused by human uncontrolled reproduction and desires.

• 到了七、八十年代，工藤的作品更深入哲學和形而上學的探索，使用籠子來表達時間持續性、記憶和精神認同。他的作品中人臉常有第三隻眼，象徵印度神話中濕婆的毀滅與再生，並探討文化知識的發展與傳播。通過工藤哲巳的作品，觀眾可以深入思考現代社會中人類的角色及與自然、科技的相互作用。
• By the 1970s and 1980s, Kudo’s work delved deeper into philosophical and metaphysical explorations, using cages to express themes of temporality, memory, and spiritual identity. His works often feature a face with a third eye, symbolizing destruction and regeneration in Hindu mythology and exploring the development and dissemination of cultural knowledge. Through Tetsumi Kudo’s works, viewers are invited to deeply consider the role of humans in modern society and their interactions with nature and technology.

Background — 工藤哲巳

工藤哲巳1935年出生於日本大阪，1954至1958年就讀於東京藝術大學。他將戰後的哲學動盪轉化為顛覆性的雕塑，挑戰戰後工業「進步」的價值。1962年，他移居巴黎，開啟了新的視野，但在國外的生活加強了他對西方文化及其影響的批判性觀察。作為一個東方來客，工藤哲巳將自己視爲西方的「觀察者」，並深感自己有必要顛覆歐洲人文主義中的政治、經濟與人類中心主義風氣及其對二十世紀藝術與文化的影響。多年來，藝術成為他溝通與反思的橋樑。工藤哲巳以其視點詮釋人性百態，在他的作品中，都反映他作為一個「觀察者」眼中的世界風貌。

Tetsumi Kudo was born in 1935 in Osaka, Japan, and attended the Tokyo University of the Arts from 1954 to 1958. He transformed the philosophical turmoil of the post-war era into subversive sculptures, challenging the values of post-war industrial “progress.” In 1962, he moved to Paris, opening new perspectives, but his life abroad intensified his critical observations of Western culture and its impacts. As an Eastern visitor, Tetsumi Kudo saw himself as an ‘observer’ of the West, and he felt a strong need to subvert the political, economic, and anthropocentric ethos of European humanism and its influence on twentieth-century art and culture. Over the years, art became his bridge for communication and reflection. Tetsumi Kudo’s perspective on the myriad facets of humanity is reflected in his works, which portray the world as seen through the eyes of an ‘observer.’

Final Tips:

在觀賞途中，請思考我們在相互關聯的生態和社會系統中的位置。

During your viewing, please consider our position within the interconnected ecological and social systems.

工藤哲巳：籠子 | Tetsumi Kudo: Cage
Date:
2024. 5. 31 – 2024. 8. 31
Venue:
香港中環皇后大道中8號地面
G/F, 8 Queen’s Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

Courtesy of artist Tetsumi Kudo and Hauser & Wirth Hong Kong