AZUMATEI PROJECT
​A Place for Creative Experimentation Yokohama JP​

The advantage of the place itself, it’s unusual location and unique appearance, is one of the defining characteristics of the Azumatei Project. Speaking of galleries with a distinctive character, two come to mind.

One is an underground gallery. As I stepped down the spiral staircase leading to almost the center of the room, I saw how the lights, which reflected gently on the linoleum floor, softened the tense air of the dusky room. After proceeding a few steps into the gallery I turned around, and noticed how the staircase stood along with other exhibits, tensely and solemnly, like a sculpture itself. 

The other is an old gallery with a long history. The walls had been painted countless times, and those thick layers of white paint created a grave, imposing sense of “resistance” on the wall. To my eyes, those white walls shined almost brighter than the fluorescent lights that hung from the ceiling. I personally believe that artists are those who can immediately envision how their work will appear immediately after stepping into any intriguing space. And it is no exaggeration to say that I envisioned the AZP the moment I first came across our venue.

The main space is a former printing office that had been abandoned for over thirty years. It seems as cold as some restricted rocky stretch, and is reminiscent of some kind of skinned emotion, akin to stepping into a godforsaken cave and finding the traces of human existence deep within. Its fragile walls practically molder, and the blotchy floor absorbs everything, quickly becoming chalky. The walls metamorphose after every repair. I can sense the unpretentious sincerity of every artist who has been attracted by and grabbled with this space, an attitude which hangs palpable in the air. I believe that each artist improves the strength of this space, even more.

To ascertain the world as glimpsed over the backs of artists, we keep our venue as it is, as an intentionally challenging and provocative space for artists. The firsthand experiences that are shared here are absorbed into the firmament of our space, vestiges of an ongoing search and practice that seeks the modes of expression we need in this world and period of time.