April 17th, 2015 ART FAIR TOKYO 2015 Closing Report 2.1 Visitors: 54,850 (13% increase from 2014) Previous highest number of attendees was in 2012 with 53,010 Exhibitors: 160 (including galleries, corporations, and other organizations) Press Attendees: 374 (2014: 324) Total Sales: around ¥1 billion (estimate, based on voluntary exhibitor survey) Celebrating 10 years of ART FAIR TOKYO with record visitor numbers With the 2015 event ART FAIR TOKYO celebrated a decade of success as Japan’s largest art fair. There was a noticeable increase in the number of overseas visitors and we are very pleased to announce that overall attendance for the fair was the highest since it began 10 years ago. The fair also included another special exhibition section: Artistic Practices examined the Rimpa school of Japanese painting as well as the Venice Biennale, exploring both the history of art in Japan as well as the international contexts for art movements. This was just one of the many experiences unique to this highly Japanese art fair. The program of related events included the Asian Art Forum, bringing together art fair chairs and directors from all over the region to discuss how art forms a bridge across Asia, as well as share insights on the individual strengths of each city’s art fair. We hope to organize the event again in the future. There was also a popular talk about the new tax regulations for art purchases, just one of the many opportunities for attendees to learn more about the art market. Our programs aspire to energize the Tokyo art scene over the next five or ten years as we look ahead to the 2020 Olympic Games. We look forward to organizing more art fairs offering experiences unique to Tokyo. Naohiko Kishi ART FAIR TOKYO Executive Producer A bustling preview and opening ceremony On March 19th a first choice preview was held with many invited guests. Akie Abe (spouse of the Prime Minister of Japan), Masanori Aoyagi (Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs), Tadateru Konoe (President of the Japanese Red Cross), fashion designer Junko Koshino, and Princess Nauf Bendar Al Saud of Saudi Arabia attended the opening ceremony officially marking the start of the fair, a suitably glamorous launch to the milestone 2015 event. Special exhibitions about Rimpa and Venice Biennale One of the unique features of ART FAIR TOKYO is its wide range of exhibits, from antiques to contemporary art. The 2015 fair concentrated galleries dealing with crafts in the entrance area, giving visitors an immediate impression of the border-‐crossing nature of the fair. The ongoing Artistic Practices series of exhibitions inside the fair this year examined 24 Japanese artists through the twin perspectives of Rimpa, the 400-‐year-‐old school of painting, and the Venice Biennale, often said to be the most influential art event in the world. The fair’s diverse showcase of Japanese contemporary art met with much praise. Art fair directors from across the region gather for Asian Art Forum Art fair chairs and directors from Macao, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo came together to discuss the art markets and art scenes in their respective cities. Despite being held on a weekday, the forum was packed with attendees, indicating the level of interest in art fairs happening around the Asian region. There was also strong interest in the event from overseas press. Left to right: Takahiro Kaneshima (Program Director, ART FAIR TOKYO / Tokyo), Lorenzo Rudolf (Director, Art Stage Singapore / Singapore), Naohiko Kishi (Executive Producer, Art Fair Tokyo), Rick Wang (Chairperson, Taiwan Art Gallery Association / Taipei), Ho Kin U (Operation Director, ART MO / Macao) A window into Tokyo: Special 10th-‐anniversary graphic design Masayoshi Kodaira has been responsible for ART FAIR TOKYO’s main graphic design since the very first fair. For the anniversary 2015 fair he created a “window” through which we can view the city. His design was inspired by the timing of the fair, five years before the Olympic Games are due to be held and an ideal opportunity to re-‐examine Tokyo as we look ahead to the sports and cultural events in the near future. As well as the main graphic design, Kodaira also redesigned the fair logo for the anniversary. In partnership with YOSHIROTTEN, Mika Ninagawa and Daido Moriyama, he created special posters for the fair. These were then sold after the fair was over, with proceeds going to charity. Graphic design collaboration artists (left to right): YOSHIROTTEN, Mika Ninagawa, Daido Moriyama Art direction/design: Masayoshi Kodaira Left: ART FAIR TOKYO poster / Right: 10th anniversary logo Pre-‐events and fair events work to harness the strengths of the fair Numerous pre-‐events and talks were organized after ART FAIR TOKYO 2014. The content of these events was deliberately designed to be practical and useful for building visitor knowledge and experience, and the success of this strategy could be seen in how many participants later attended the 2015 fair and purchased artworks. During the fair itself there were also many talks and symposia at venues other than the Tokyo International Forum, the main fair venue. This program of 19 events, the highest number ever in the fair’s history, helped further fair attendees’ understanding of artwork and the art scene. A packed satellite program of events The fair also organized a vibrant program of satellite events that took place outside the main venue. Last year’s popular Art, Media and I, Tokyo (AMIT2015) returned in an expanded version, featuring the work of several leading media artists around the Marunouchi area, as well as symposia exploring the issues of media, technology, art and the city. Takahiro Iwasaki was selected for the 8th Bacon Prize, awarded to a young artist exhibiting at ART FAIR TOKYO, and the prize party attracted a lot of visitors. Campari Presents Park Night 2015: Meteorites was a special art party held at Park Hotel Tokyo in Shiodome, one of the fair’s partner hotels, and featured an exciting host of performance, music, art exhibits, and screenings. Left to right: Art, Media and I, Tokyo (AMIT2015), Saki Chikaraishi “Knit Inventor in Marunouchi”, Red Bull Music Academy x Rhizomatiks,“The Human Sized Synthesizer”, Ei Wada “Flying Records” The 8th Annual Bacon Prize CAMPARI Presents Park Night 2015: Meteorites ART FAIR TOKYO 2015 Publicity Featured in 807 publications, broadcasts, etc. (correct as of April 15, 2015) Regional newspaper coverage from across Japan. Increased coverage from specialist magazines. Celebrity attendees. Tokyo FM and J-‐WAVE introduced the fair on the first day (March 20th) and final day (March 22nd), helping to boost visitor numbers. The inclusion of the Rimpa exhibition in the fair proved popular with regional newspapers, leading to an increase in coverage compared to last year. The fair was featured in local newspapers across the whole of Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. The fair was also featured in more specialist magazines, including ceramics, automotive and furniture, resulting in increased attention from industries outside the art world. In addition, thanks to the attendance of many celebrities, the fair was featured in tabloids and other types of media that rarely cover art events. TV, Radio, Newspapers: J-‐WAVE, Tokyo FM, Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, Kahoku Shimpo, Miyazaki Nichinichi Shimbun, Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun, The Kochi Shimbun, The Niigata Nippo, Kobe Shimbun, Osaka Nichinichi Shimbun, The Chugoku Shimbun, To-‐o Nippo, Nihonkai Shimbun, Fukushima Minpo, Ryukyu Shimpo, Shimotsuke Shimbun, Gifu Shimbun, Kita Nippon Shimbun, Yoshimoto News, and more Magazines: Haru Pia, Geijutsu Shincho, Art Collectors’, MEN’S NON-‐NO, Oz Magazine, AERA, Web Designing, Tokyo Trend Ranking, Honoho Geijutsu, Menome, Bijutsu Techo, Gekkan Gallery, Gekkan Bijutsu, and more Industry Magazines: Nikkan Jidosha Shimbun, Kagu Shimbun, Senken Shimbun, Togyojiho, and more Online: CINRA.NET, OPENERS, Fashionsnap.com, Yahoo! News, Livedoor News, Excite News, The Nikkei Online Edition, OCULA, News Post Seven, White-‐screen, and more Left: Openers (3 articles)
Right: CINRA.NET
Overseas Publicity Working with a range of media partners with a strong presence in Asia and who also have media booths at Art Stage Singapore and Art Basel – Hong Kong, several media outlets assisted in distributing flyers and VIP cards for the fair. As a result of increased PR efforts, the fair was featured almost double the number of times by overseas media, including magazines, newspapers and online publications, as well as blog and social media coverage. This boost in the fair’s overseas profile is surely one of the reasons for the increase in visitors from overseas. Print: The Japan Times, Leap, ArtAsiaPacific, Artco, Art In Culture, Art In Asia, Art Plus, Focus Art Magazine, Chinese Contemporary Art News, Flash Art, Aesthetica, Art Republik, Monocle, The Art Newspaper, Gallery & Studio, THE ART NEWSPAPER China, and more Countries/Regions: Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Italy, UK, and more Online: BLOUIN ARTINFO, OCULA, Art Agenda, Artfacts.net, The Artling, Artsy, Artnet News China, and more Countries/Regions: USA, UK, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, and more Left to right: The Japan Times Art Republik Blouin Artinfo New Media Booths The designs of the press booths were changed, including a total revamp for the overseas media partner booths. Many visitors stopped at the booths to browse samples of overseas publications and the new booth style was also popular with invited overseas journalists. Left: Japanese media booths Right: International media booths Press Release and Newsletter Distribution A total of 9 press releases and 7 newsletters were distributed, as per the schedules below. Press releases were sent to around 2,000 media outlets and journalists in Japan and overseas, while newsletters were sent to around 9,000 registered members of the general public. The main information about the fair was released in four languages (Japanese, English, Korean and Chinese) via flyers (150,000) and posters (900), which were circulated to art museums, galleries, and other art facilities in Japan and overseas. Press Releases (Japanese) Newsletter Distribution December 10th: Press Release 1.1 (basic fair information) January 26th: Advance tickets on sale January 7th: Press Release 2.1 (exhibitors) February 20th: Pre-‐event (Masato Nakamura & Takahiro Kaneshima talk) January 26th: Press Release 3.1 (special exhibitions) February 27th: Pre-‐events (Kotobuki Shiriagari, AMIT) February 20th: Press Release 4.1 (partner booths, talks, guided tours, related events) March 6th: Fair events March 9th: Press Release 5.1 (fair schedule) March 11th: Recommended programs (MAD lectures) March 17th: Press Release 6.1 (highlights) March 17th: ART FAIR TOKYO opening this week March 20th: ART FAIR TOKYO opens today March 19th: Press Materials March 24th: Press Release 7.1 (fair closure) March 31st: Closing Report 1.1 April 17th: Closing Report 2.1 (TBC) Online Activities The ART FAIR TOKYO website listed information on exhibitors, special exhibitions, fair events and layout, as well as media coverage. Its regular updates gave online visitors a live sense of what was happening during the fair. In the same way as last year, fair PR also harnessed social media to great effect. Website Languages: Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean Website traffic (December 10th, 2014 – March 31st, 2015) Top monthly page views: 439,321 (March 2015) Top daily page views: 60,214 (March 20th, 2015) Social Media This year the fair once again utilized social media and online platforms to share information. Retweets on Twitter helped boost the number of followers to the fair’s official account by around 14%. On the fair’s Facebook page the number of image postings was increased, leading to a 26% increase in followers. As the diagrams below show, the fair’s social media platforms had a strong reach around the world, especially with users in Asia. Next year the fair’s target is to exceed 10,000 Facebook users. Image 1
Image 2 Facebook followers: 7,623 (increase of 1,597 from last year) / Twitter followers: 13,510 (increase of 1,642 from last year) ART FAIR TOKYO 2015 was made possible through the cooperation of numerous people, groups and corporations, such as those listed below. We wish to express our gratitude to all our supporters. In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan / Agency for Cultural Affairs/ Japanese Red Cross Society / Embassy of Belgium / Embassy of Brazil / British Council / Ambassade de France – Institut français du Japon / Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany / Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Japan / Embassy of Israel / Italian Cultural Institute of Tokyo / Korean Cultural Center, Embassy of Korea in Japan / Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Tokyo / Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines, Tokyo / Embajada de España / Embassy of the United States of America in Japan / Embassy of Switzerland / Tajimi City / Toyama City / Kanazawa Art Promotion and Development Foundation Sponsors: Deutsche Bank Group / MORIMOTO Co., Ltd. / ISE Foundation / amanasalto inc. / SUNTORY SPIRITS LIMITED / Warehouse Terrada / Coiney Inc. Collaborative Partners: DOMANI Exhibition plus / Mercedes-‐Benz Fashion Week TOKYO / AMIT (Art, Media and I, Tokyo) 2015 / KYOTO INTERNATIONAL FILM AND ART FESTIVAL / Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. Digital Culture Resources Lab Educational Partner: Arts Initiative Tokyo Main Media Partner: The Nikkei Online Edition Main Partner Hotel: Park Hotel Tokyo Partner Airline: ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO., LTD. Corporate Partners: Mercedes-‐Benz Japan Co., Ltd. / FENDI JAPAN / Amazon Japan Special support from Idemitsu Museum of Arts / Suntory Museum of Art/ Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo / Toguri Museum of Art / Pola Museum of Art / Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo / Mori Art Museum / YOKOHAMA MUSEUM OF ART Support from MITSUBISHI ESTATE CO., LTD. / Asahi-‐Shuzo Sake Brewing Co., Ltd. / TAKEO Co., Ltd. / ARK HILLS CLUB / ROPPONGI HILLS CLUB / Alpha Corporation Inc. / PAP-‐design / Artist for a day / the ART foundation Partner Hotels: The Capitol Hotel Tokyu / THE PENNINSULA TOKYO / Hotel Niwa Tokyo / IMPERIAL HOTEL, TOKYO/ GRAND HYATT TOKYO / SHINBASHI ATAGOYAMA TOKYU INN / HOTEL S Details about exhibitor applications for ART FAIR TOKYO 2016 will be announced on the ART FAIR TOKYO website in late May. Inquiries: ART FAIR TOKYO Committee Public Relations Ichikawa (Ms.) / Nawa (Ms.) / Ikarashi (Ms.) 4F 3-‐8-‐8 Negishi, Taito-‐ku, Tokyo, 110-‐0003, Japan Tel: 03-‐5808-‐1451 [email protected] http://artfairtokyo.com