Bangkok--18 Oct--CENTRAL EMBASSY
The iconic lifestyle destination Central Embassy presents the global debut of "SORAYAMA Space Park by AMKK at Central Embassy", the World's revealing of the life-sized scale giant aluminum Tyrannosaurus (T-Rex) sculpture setting its feet on the spectacular moon surface landscape, the first set of collaborative art pieces by Japanese artists Hajime Sorayama and Azuma Makoto from AMKK. Travel beyond the universe with this unique "Space Park" installation concept that combines the worlds of outer space and nature into one. This exhibition is in partnership with Nanzuka and EchoOne Nanzuka.
The grand opening welcomes the 11-meter long and 3.74-meter tall aluminum T-Rex sculpture, the largest scale ever created by Sorayama, onto the outdoor yard of Central Embassy's Level G. The oeuvre draws on Sorayama's renowned sense of realistic expressional techniques and builds on his series of paintings exploring dinosaurs since the 1980s until today. "I am excited to make the global debut of this work at Central Embassy before it tours to many cities around the world," says Sorayama. "I have always liked dinosaurs and painted many over the years. The paint showcased here is T-Rex that specifically painted for this project and was made into a giant life-sized sculpture."
The installation comes paired with a spectacular moon surface created by experimental floral and botanical creator, AMKK, to create the otherworldly merge of terrain and outer space in one dimension. In parallel, the indoor atrium of Central Embassy's Level G welcomes 5 smaller T-Rex sculptures also depicted in 5 stunning landscapes by AMKK; jungle, desert, glacier, moss, and lake. "The name 'Space Park' captures the uniqueness of this concept. There are no trees, dinosaurs or lakes in outer space — therefore, we are creating new landscapes here that combines plant, fauna and cosmos in the same expanse. It's a new scenery that nobody has ever seen before, and we hope it ignites a joyous and surprising experience to all visitors that come to see it," says AMKK.
Hajime Sorayama is the godfather of realistic expression through his use of airbrush techniques. His signature body of work, the organic-robotic series "Sexy Robot" was part of his collaboration with Dior Men for its 2019 pre-fall collection in Tokyo and gained him world-wide recognition. Most recently, he has showcased his work in exhibitions including "Unorthodox" (New York, 2015), "Desire" (Miami, 2016), "The Universe and Art" (Tokyo, 2016 / Singapore, 2017), and the large-scale group show "Cool Japan" which recently took in Amsterdam.
AMKK, directed by Azuma Makoto, is interested in making flowers/plants more alive than they really are. He finds intangible and exhaustive elements, namely, sensuous and instantaneous factors such as music in flowers/plants and expresses them in his work to remove their stereotyped images and present to the world the totally new aspects of them. He has created works for big brands around the world, including "Jardin de Temps" for Maison Hermes (Ginza, 2013), "Exobiotanica: Botanical Space Flight" in Black Rock Desert (USA, 2014), "Biennale des Antiquaires" for Boucheron (Paris, 2014), "Fendi Flowerland" for Fendi (Tokyo, 2016), and most recently "The Flowerscape Series" for SIWILAI CITY CLUB, Central Embassy (Bangkok, 2018)
"We are very excited to curate this show as 3rd part of our 5th Year Anniversary celebrations. It's a privileged to have Hajime Sorayama debuting his life-sized scale aluminum T-Rex sculpture alongside Azuma Makoto from AMKK, who together will create an incredible landscape under the concept 'Space Park'. This collaboration, the first of its kind, will serve to highlight their unique works while simultaneously showcasing their unity in one dynamic and engaging installation. We hope our visitors will enjoy this immersive experience and take home with them some wonderful memories, along with limited edition merchandise created just for this special occasion." says Barom Bhicharnchitr, Managing Director of Central Embassy.
Visitors can also enjoy limited edition merchandise by Sorayama and AMKK including a painting, prints, t-shirts, caps, tote bags, sofubi figures and more, plus the pop-up Flower Shop selling AMKK's beautiful floral creations every Friday to Sunday during the exhibition period. All available at the SIWILAI Store, Level 5, Central Embassy. Those interested to know more about the giant T-Rex and five small T-Rexes can contact staff for more detailed information.
In addition, there is an Artists Meet & Greet session from 20:00 to 20:30 on 16th October 2019 at SIWILAI Store, where both artists will associate with participants. Meanwhile, there will be also an exclusive art talk by Sorayama where participants will be given the idea behind his works on Thursday 17th October between 17.00-18.00 at OPEN HOUSE, Level 6, Central Embassy.
At Level G of Central Embassy, Hajima Sorayama and Azuma Makoto from AMKK honor the grand opening with their presence along with a board of directors led by Barom Bhicharnchitr, Managing Director of Central Embassy and the partners, Shinji Nanzuka, Founder of Nanzuka, and Pat-Prakasit Phornprapha and Kong-Karoon Sosothikul, Co-founders of EchoOne Nanzuka to welcome all the guests. Bella-Ranee Campen and artistic crews including celebrities and art collectors such as Nagara Sambandaraksa, Chulalax Piyasombatkul, Tatim - Teema Rucksajit, Gene Kasidit, Jitsing Somboon, and many more also join the event.
Running until November 17th 2019, "SORAYAMA Space Park by AMKK @ Central Embassy" comes as the 3rd edition of Central Embassy 5th year anniversary celebration under the concept Let Life Inspire You, which this year has already seen installations by New York-based collaborative design practice Snarkitecture's "Tilting Forest" and eco-art exhibition "Anima Mundi: Soul of the World" by Mulyana.
For future media enquiries, please contact: https://www.facebook.com/events/2816176231726394/
Organizers & Partners of "SORAYAMA Space Park by AMKK @ Central Embassy" showcase, Bangkok,Thailand
About Hajime Sorayama
Hajime Sorayama is born in 1947 in Ehime prefecture in Japan. After working with an advertising company, he has established his position as a legendary artist both within Japan and abroad, armed with his astounding sense of realistic expressional techniques. Sorayama's extensive oeuvre that centers upon an on-going pursuit for beauty regarding the human body and the machine has continued to receive high international acclaim, and his signature body of work entitled, the "Sexy Robot" series (1978), had served to established his world-wide reputation. In 1999, he worked with Sony on the concept design for their entertainment robot 'AIBO.' Sorayama is also renowned for his collaboration with internationally famous rock band Aerosmith for the artwork on the cover of their 2001 album, 'Just Push Play'. Also he has just made a major collaboration with Kim Jones for Dior Men collection in 2018.
In recent years, Sorayama's works have been presented in exhibitions including, "Unorthodox" (The Jewish Museum, New York, 2015), "Desire" (by Larry Gagosian and Jeffrey Deitch, Moore building Miami, 2016), "The Universe and Art" (Mori Art Museum, Tokyo, 2016, Art Science Museum, Singapore, 2017), "Cool Japan" (Tropen Museum in Amsterdam) , and "Tokyo Pop Underground" (Jeffery Deitch, NY 2019). Also his works are added to the collection of The Museum of Modern Art, New York and M+ [Museum for Visual Culture], HongKong.
Sorayama continues to receive respect from creators and artists across the world as the godfather of realistic expression through his use of the airbrush technique. His 1983 publication "SEXY ROBOT" had generously described the process of painting robots through a series of graphic explanations, and has since been distributed and referenced as a textbook in various art schools throughout the globe. As a result, the influences of Sorayama's works extend far beyond the boundaries of Japan's commercial art scene, presenting an impact on a diverse array of media from Hollywood films, the world's street art and to the realm of fine art.
Through their precise forms, the robots that Sorayama depicts embody the human impulse of pursuing beauty. At the same time, by their own nature, they encompass
various important themes of contemporary society such as boundaries of race, eternal life, and the fusion of technology and beauty. As a result of the sophistication of AI and the development of mechanical engineering, the coexistence of robots and human beings has become a real topic at the present time. Sorayama's works have come to be discussed in this manner, such as in its relation to the 2015 film "Ex Machina" directed by Alex Garland, which illustrates the protagonist's empathy towards a "beautiful female robot."
About AMKK
AMKK is a creative studio developing the experimental floral and botanical creation by Azuma Makoto, a flower artist. The activities of AMKK aim to increase the existential value of flowers by finding out the most mysterious figure only owned by flowers and plants and converting it to the artistic expression.
Azuma Makoto has been in the flower business since 2002, and is an owner of the haute-couture floral shop, "JARDINS des FLEURS" in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo. In addition to the flower shop business, Azuma began to explore the expressive potential of flowers and plants in 2005. He invented the genre of the "Botanical sculpture" creating works for which he soon received orders also from outside Japan. Following a solo exhibition in New York, his audacious works have been repeatedly shown in Europe. While launching the experimental botanical lab AMKK in 2009, he went on to exhibit his works at art museums, galleries and public spaces in all over the world.
Regarding art that uses flowers, although there are a few hundred schools of flower arrangement in Japan, his works are different to the others which all respect the format of arrangement. He is interested in "making flowers/plants more alive" than they really are. However, his works do not result only in expressing their beauty. The term "beauty" here means the surface beauty. His viewpoint of completely accepting flowers/plants even as they start to rot, and not ignoring the "death" behind the "life" is at the heart of his work. His daily work as a flower shop owner may give him such a wide range of view. His experience for two years at AMPG has made his views more emotional. In other words, the work there might have made him focus on the feelings generated by his experiences rather than think of new approaches. Azuma finds intangible and exhaustive elements, namely, sensuous and instantaneous factors such as music inflowers/plants, and expresses them in his works. Such instantaneous elements remove our stereotyped images of flowers/plants and present us with totally new aspects of them.
About Central Embassy
Situated on the bustling intersection of Wireless and Ploenchit, Central Embassy, the iconic art, fashion and lifestyle destination in Bangkok, is one-of-a-kind architectural landmark. It is home to the biggest names — both international and local — in fashion, lifestyle, design, dining and entertainment. Three innovative zones not to be missed; OPEN HOUSE, a co-living space for eating and relaxation activities. SIWILAI CITY CLUB, a social club for everyone. Eathai, a market atmosphere offering authentic Thai delicacies and street food from all regions of Thailand. Also, enjoy the ultimate first class experience with Diplomat Screens Embassy by AIS as well as the Park Hyatt Bangkok, the premium hotel atop of the retail complex
About SIWILAI
SIWILAI is an 826 square-meter modern day marketplace at Central Embassy, which opened in May 2014. The Thai word SIWILAI has been used to express the notion of progression and development, moving forward into contemporary culture while keeping a firm grasp on its Thai roots. The Chao Phraya River, an ever-moving force that has motioned Bangkok forward from a trading post to a cosmopolitan mecca, inspires this philosophy: a unique and progressive concept that strays away from traditional retail platforms into one where both brands and consumers may express their identities with more freedom and elasticity.
About Nanzuka
NANZUKA was founded by Shinji Nanzuka in 2005 in Tokyo, in the previous name Nanzuka Underground (2005- 2011). In 2013, the gallery opened a Hong Kong branch named AISHONANZUKA as the joint gallery with Aisho Miura Arts.
The gallery is dedicated to rediscovering the artists who have been ignored among the Japanese fine art scene after The World War II, such as Keiichi TANAAMI (born in 1936), who is the first artist to represents Japanese pop art since mid-1960s; Harumi Yamaguchi (born in 1936), a female artist, dedicated to advertising products in the 1970s and 1980s, who has depicted female figures using airbrush techniques, established herself as a Women's Liberation illustrator symbolizing the era; Hajime Sorayama (born in 1947) renowned for his "Sexy Robot" series that includes contexts belong to the post human body or the aesthetic of the human body.
The gallery collaborates with many international galleries to support emerging Japanese artists in the international art scene, including Hiroki Tsukuda,
Akiyoshi Mishima, Ryuichi Ohira, Makoto Taniguchi, Masato Mori or Haroshi. Similarly, the gallery works with selected international artists to represent contemporary art's global scene.
NANZUKA readily collaborates with other industries, including fashion, music, and design, among others, in order to expand the existing "art" context and break though the parameter of "fine art".
About EchoOneNanzuka
EchoOne Nanzuka is co-founded by two art lovers and best friends Pat – Prakasit Phornprapha and Kong - Karoon Sosothikul in collaboration with Nanzuka Underground. The gallery is built in order to sustainably develop the contemporary art scene in Thailand and support arts in all area including prints, paintings, sculptures and photos.
Located at the heart of Bangkok, the gallery serves art lovers with a wide range of arts such as modern art, contemporary art, and mixed media art from big names in international art scene like Hajime Sorayama's 'Sawasdee Sexy Robot'.