Saya Takahashi | Standing Before the Wall Separating "Movement" and "Production"—From the Noriyuki Haraguchi Exhibition "Model/Reflection" at Sculpture Center Tokyo
This critique reviews the Noriyuki Haraguchi exhibition at Sculpture Center Tokyo, examining curator Yohei Kurose's "philosophy of models" and the artist's relationship with social engagement.Summary
This article critiques the inaugural exhibition, "Model/Reflection," of Noriyuki Haraguchi (1946–2020) at the newly opened Sculpture Center Tokyo in May 2025. The author notes the exhibition's main visual—a stern portrait of Haraguchi—evokes the trope of the rugged "male artist" and reflects on how sculptors post-war engaged with photography. The exhibition aims to re-evaluate Haraguchi's practice beyond the typical "Mono-ha" framework, utilizing the critical lens of curator Yohei Kurose's "philosophy of models." Kurose frames Haraguchi's model-making as a struggle to approach "this world" through creation, distinct from the political activism of the late 1960s student movements. However, the author suggests Kurose's romantic depiction of Haraguchi mirrors the curator's own tendency to contrast "movement" with "production," recalling his previous curatorial statements. The critique questions whether the exhibition's framing, particularly its "reflection," results in a self-aggrandizing echo of a dominant male artist image, rather than a critical introspection. Furthermore, the author argues that curators must acknowledge social context, such as the legal disputes involving Kurose, asserting that the wall between an artist's "production" and their social conduct is already open, and this complexity should be addressed in critical discourse.
(Source：artscape)