Tadasu Takamine

Born in Kagoshima in 1968, Tadasu Takamine currently lives and works in Tokyo.

For a period of four years beginning in 1993, he was active as a performer with the troupe Dumb Type. He creates both critical and ironic visualizations of issues in contemporary society through diverse modes of expression, including live performance, video, and installations. His works thus far include Kimura-san (1998), a video piece revolving around his communication with and sexual care for a disabled man; A Lover from Korea (2003), a work which was based on a relationship of Takamine’s own and takes up the problem of discriminatory sentiment toward Korean residents of Japan; and the Japan Syndrome series (2011 -) of plays reenacting dialogues with staff at stores, restaurants, and other such businesses about radioactive contamination of food due to the nuclear power station catastrophe in Fukushima Prefecture. Takamine is also known for God Bless America (2002), a clay animation video proceeding from criticism of U.S. policy surrounding the invasion of Afghanistan after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He used about two tons of oil-based clay to make this work, which was entered in the 50th Venice Biennale.

Takamine’s main solo exhibitions were A Lover from Korea, NPO Tanba Manganese Mining Museum (Kyoto, 2003); BIG REST – Gardening for the Future 1,095 ㎡, sendai mediatheque (Miyagi, 2008); Good House, Nice Body, 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (Ishikawa, 2010); Too Far To See, Yokohama Museum of Art, Kanagawa / Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima / Kirishima Open Air Museum, Kagoshima / IKON Gallery, Birmingham, U.K. (2011-2012); Tadasu Takamine’s COOL JAPAN, Contemporary Art Gallery, Art Tower Mito (Ibaraki, 2012); Japan Syndrome – Utrecht Version, CASCO, Utrecht, Netherlands (2013); and Japan Syndrome, Hebbel am Ufer (Berlin, 2014). Takamine was also invited by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to participate in a one-year residency program in Berlin in 2013.

Public Collection

Queensland Art Gallery, Australia

M+, Hong Kong

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Japan

National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, Japan

Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan

National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan

Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, Aichi, Japan

Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Hiroshima, Japan

Miyakonojo City Museum of Art, Miyazaki, Japan

Yokohama Museum of Art, Kanagawa, Japan

Kadist Art Foundation, Paris, France

SAMUSO, Korea

Daisuke Miyatsu Collection

Takahashi Ryutaro Collection