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Jonathan Meese: Mishima is Back
Events
Written by In the document   
Published: September 08 2009

photo: Jan Bauer, courtesy of Tomio Koyama Gallery copy right(c) Jonathan Meese

Jonathan Meeses's art is expressed in various medium, from paintings, sculptures, installations and performances done within his own installation work. He creates a humorous and dangerously chaotic world, involving prominent persons such as Wagner and Hitler from German history; others are Hollywood celebrities, protagonists of children's stories and manga, and movie characters. Last year at Yokohama Triennale, a performance work was done in an expansive space with a large inscription that says "Dictatorship of Art" which was his own installation work. While his comical gestures brought laughter to the audience, the scene Jonathan Meese agitating loudly as he distributed handbills stating "Yokohama Manifest", pausing time to time in "Hail to Hitler" pose, flirting with a portrait of Scarlet Johansen, using stuffed animal reminded one as if he was a pious worshipper of artistic activities himself. Even when all power structure and politic's hierarchy is invalidated, art has an overwhelming ability to charm people and function as propaganda; Jonathan Meese as an artist summarizes his serious attitude to pursue this art's ultimate power, by way of stating in the manifest "Art is a comprehensive propaganda" and " Art is absolutely neutral". For Jonathan Meese who is a German artist born in Tokyo, Yukio Mishima seems to be his adolescence hero originated from Japan. What will be exhibited in this show is completely unannounced. Please come see this show " Mishima is back" by Jonathan Meese who is back to Japan since the Yokohama show a year ago. Artist Biography:
Jonathan Meese was born in Tokyo in 1970. He currently lives and works in Berlin and Hamburg. The installation he presented at the berlin biennial in 1998 attracted international attention. Meese's solo exhibition includes "ERZSTAAT ATLANTIS" (Arp Museum Bahnhof Rolandseck, Remagen, Germany, 2009), "Marlene Dietrich in Dr. No's Ludovico Clinic (Dr. Baby's Erzland)" (Watermill Foundation, New York, 2008), "Fraulein Atlantis" (Sammlung Essl Privatstiftung, Klosterneuburg/Vienna, 2007), "JONATHAN ROCKFORD (DON'T CALL ME BACK, PLEASE)" (De Appel Centre for Contemporary Art, Amsterdam, 2007), "Jonathan Meese Meistersinger"(Louisiana Museum, Copenhagen, 2007) and many others.His works are collected by Centre Pompidou, Paris, France; Musees de Strassbourg, Strassbourg, France; Sammlung Goetz, Munich, Germany; Saatchi Gallery, London, UK, and more. * The text provided by Tomio Koyama Gallery.

Last Updated on September 05 2009
 

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