Contemporary “hot spring” art museum
What would you do if a hot spring sprung in your backyard? Build a super sento public bath with all the trimmings? A spa, a sanitarium? Sure, but there are plenty of these already. How about building a contemporary art museum on top of your hot spring, and filling it with contemporary art works that use hot springs? And of course, it would only be sensible to offer visitors a soak. Have them strip off at the door, use a contemporary art key to secure their clothes in a contemporary art locker, take a contemporary art towel from the contemporary art reception desk, and enjoy an intimate, full-frontal encounter with contemporary art in the buff. Sounds good, huh? No? Think about it: people still see contemporary art as inaccessible and unintelligible. Surely the time has come for a more relaxed approach to art appreciation?
Just imagine for example: you’re enjoying a nice soak in the tub when through the steam you spy…Mr. Contemporary Art. “Fancy meeting you here, Mr. Contemporary Art,”you say. “Working hard I see. Would you like a backscrub?” So you and Mr. Contemporary Art scrub each other’s backs. That contemporary art as bathhouse attendant may be abstract yet beautiful, or perhaps it plays music with a lovely sound… As you sit there, having your back scrubbed soothingly by that work of art, you begin to feel no longer part of this world; or perhaps the work will diffuse through the water like tears, leaving you soaking in all the sadness of this mortal coil, sniffling and sobbing in the steam… In any case, the options are endless, and while a contemporary hot springs art museum is no doubt a ridiculous notion, surely it would be nice to have even just one, somewhere on the planet? Let’s face it, the place is already covered in stuff nobody needs.
Exhibition proposal
Exhibition title
Contemporary “hot spring” art museum
Synopsis
An epochmaking attempt to broaden the appeal of contemporary art
via an epochmaking hot spring/contemporary art collaboration
Exhibits
First dig for the spring
When you strike hot water, build an art museum on top
Then build contemporary art-style baths in the museum
Budget
A billion yen to excavate the spring
A billion yen for the museum
A billion yen for the art
(or thereabouts)
Dates and venue
Anywhere with a hot spring
Admission
All-day use of baths ?\5000, 3 hours ?\3000; towel rental ?\1000, robe ?\1000
Source materials
Books such as “Hot Springs of the World”
Originally printed in ART iT No.19 Spring/Summerr 2008