BUG, operated by Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. is pleased to present BUG School 2024: Wild City from Wednesday, December 18, 2024, with independent curator Kaho Ikeda joining as guest curator. This project will provide a venue to simultaneously showcase several artists, with seven individuals presenting small exhibitions alongside a varied program of events. Our goal is to develop this project as a continual effort to expand the potential of the art center, creating opportunities to connect with artists’ concepts and works. It also offers a space where people from all walks of life who have not had the opportunity to engage with art—be they businesspeople or students—can learn about it in an enjoyable way.
BUG School is an art project that brings together a group exhibition and participatory program. It is an attempt to make purchasing works of art an organic experience, by allowing visitors to acquire works while learning from the artists. One of BUG’s activity directives is the provision of career support, and we are therefore looking to provide artists without a great deal of experience in selling their work with opportunities to do so. The art center will also be involved in the production process, from documentation to pricing and sizing considerations, providing support to help artists widen their career options. All proceeds from the sale of artwork, once the artist’s income and shipping costs have been accounted for, will be donated to Save the Children.
A seven-artist exhibition
The exhibiting artists present works created in response to the set theme, as mediated by their own instincts and personal perspectives. More specifically, this diverse array of new creations includes works that consider the artists’ relationship with the city through the intervention of the body in the environment surrounding BUG; works that build on imagery from the not only the environs of Tokyo Station but also hidden corners and unseen traces from the wider urban landscape; works that focus on the living things that inhabit the city and the people coming and going within it; and works that examine the life of the city-dwelling artists themselves.
In order to embody the complex spatiality of the city, the venue will take on a multi-layered structure incorporating ramps, and experimental use of locations and facilities not previously used by BUG aims to create a viewing experience that truly feels like an exploration of the exhibition space.
Participatory program
This program will include a diverse range of participatory events organized by the artists, from performances that build on the exhibited works, to workshops where hands-on activities give attendees a feel for where the artists are coming from creatively. Each event is structured around the idea of “learning,” and the objective is to provide activities that give visitors the opportunity to engage in dialogue with people from different backgrounds, which will lead to insights and discoveries.
Up-to-date program information will be provided regularly on our website and social media channels.
Acquiring the works
The exhibited works (with some exceptions) will be available for purchase during the exhibition period. All proceeds from the sale of artwork, excluding the artists’ income and expenses such as shipping costs, will be donated to Save the Children in order to support the children of today and the future. In addition, the Participatory Program led by the artists will allow visitors to learn about the artists and the background to their artworks to make informed acquisitions.
Up-to-date information concerning artwork sales will be provided regularly on our website and social media channels.
Information
Artisits : Naohiro UTAGAWA,Gaku KUROKAWA,CHEN Shige,Akina TOKIYOSHI,tomotosi,Emiri NAKADA,Kanako HIRAMATSU