Special Public Lectures
Into Performance: Rethinking from the Intersection of Media/Gender/Politics

Professor Midori Yoshimoto and Tomorrow Girls Troop

We are pleased to welcome Professor Midori Yoshimoto, author of Into Performance: Japanese Women Artists in New York, and the members of Tomorrow Girls Troop 明日少女隊, whose solo exhibition We Can Do It! will open on July 22, for a public lecture. The lecture discuss how performance form a cultural and political space for contemporary daily life, which is fraught with many problems: what meaning does it have in contemporary society?

The 1960s was a period of remarkable freedom and exploration in the art world, especially in New York City, where new music, happening, Fluxus, new dance, pop art, and minimal art all blossomed at about the same time. Also often overlooked, but noteworthy during this period, was the creation of a great deal of revolutionary art by women.

Dr. Midori Yoshimoto will introduce five women artists who were part of the avant-garde movement in New York, including performance, conceptual art, and video art, and who were recognized in the West before their Japanese counterparts—Yoko Ono, Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Saito, Mieko Shiomi, and Shigeko Kubota—focusing on their experimental activities. The historical significance of their work will be discussed. How were their performances received in the 1960s and what messages do they convey now, after 60 years?

The members of the 4th Wave Feminist Artist Group, Tomorrow Girls Troop, who have been communicating feminism in Japan and East Asia globally through art since their formation in 2015, have been involved in a wide range of issues, including the amendment of criminal law sexual crimes, the definition of “feminism” in a Japanese dictionary Kojien, human rights of “comfort women” and transgender. Their activities have attracted tremendous attention both in Japan and abroad. In this lecture, they will talk about their past activities at the intersection of art and activism, as well as their book We Can Do It! and the solo exhibition to be held at BUoY, Kita-Senju, Tokyo from July 22, 2023.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2023, 18:00-20:00
Venue: Community Salon, 3F, International Exchange Building (TAKI PLAZA), Ueno Campus, Tokyo University of the Arts

Fee: Free *Reservations required
Language: Japanese (English/Japanese is acceptable for Q&A)

Lecturer: Dr. Midori Yoshimoto (Professor, New Jersey City University), Tomorrow Girls Troop
Moderator: Dr. Tomoko Shimizu (Associate Professor, Tokyo University of the Arts)

How to make a reservation: Please make a reservation in advance using the application form below.

Registration has been closed due to reaching capacity. (July 7)

https://forms.gle/YeFAhLbUdaaFnJBj9

*Please note that this is a face-to-face event only. No online participation available.

Organized by: Tomoko Shimizu Lab + Yoshitaka Mori Lab, Graduate School of Global Arts (GA), Tokyo University of the Arts

Contact: Graduate School of Global Arts (GA) Office　ga-research@ml.geidai.ac.jp

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Professor Midori Yoshimoto

　

Tomorrow Girls Troop