Source:  PARCO Co., Ltd. press releases
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Photo courtesy of PARCO. © TOHO CO., LTD.

PARCO Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) iwill host the "GODZILLA THE ART by PARCO vol.4" exhibition at PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO (Shibuya PARCO 4F) for 18 days from November 29 to December 16, 2024. This exhibit will be the fourth installment of the project "GODZILLA THE ART," a series of events that kicked off in April 2023 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the birth of Godzilla.  A global icon since his first theatrical release in 1954, Godzilla has shown the world various, ever-changing expressions over the past 7 decades with a total of 38 films  produced and released, including 30 domestic films, 3 animated films, and 5 Hollywood versions.

With GODZILLA THE ART, contemporary artists go beyond the framework of film to express their own interpretations of Godzilla. Curated by NANZUKA Co., the fourth exhibition will feature fifteen artists from around the world, including Roby Dwi Antono, Hiroki Tsukuda, Ryuichi Ohira, James Jarvis, Tadanobu Asano, and others, who have created unique artworks based on Godzilla, reflecting their feelings and unique perspectives on Godzilla.

Tetsuya Nakamura, who created the key visual for this exhibition, has the following to say about his work: "We went through a careful process of trial and error, paying respect to our predecessors who have created Godzilla. I have amplified my image of Godzilla by focusing on the beauty of the form of the fierce and cool 1964 Godzilla as a motif.”

A special Godzilla figure commemorating GODZILLA THE ART and original exhibition goods will also be available for purchase at the event.

 
■ "GODZILLA THE ART by PARCO vol.4 curated by NANZUKA" Exhibition Outline

Photo courtesy of PARCO. © TOHO CO., LTD.
Dates: Friday, November 29 - Monday, December 16, 2024
Venue: PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO (Shibuya PARCO 4F / 15-1 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo)
Hours: 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. *Admission until 30 minutes before closing time. *Closes at 6:00 p.m. on the last day
Admission: 1,000円 (Approximately $6.46 U.S., Tax Included) *Pre-school children free
Participating Artists: Tetsuya Nakamura / Hiroki Tsukuda / Ryuichi Ohira / James Jarvis / HAROSHI / Oliver Payne / Jean Jullien / Roby Dwi Antono / Stickymonger / TOKI / Pex Pitakpong / Julio Anaya Cabanding / Kotaro Abe / Yoshiki Muramatsu / Tadanobu Asano
Curator: NANZUKA Co.
Organizer: PARCO
Cooperation: TOHO / Asahi Shimbun 
Logo Design: Kazunari Kitagawa (GRAPH)
Event Site: https://art.parco.jp/museumtokyo/detail/?id=1607​

Advance reservations are required for the three days from Friday, November 29 - Sunday, December 1.  Tickets for reservations can be purchased at: https://t.livepocket.jp/t/1g5sp
 

 ■ Participating Artists

Fifteen artists from around the world, including NANZUKA members Tetsuya Nakamura, Roby Dwi Antono, and Ryuichi Ohira, as well as Tadanobu Asano, are participating!

Godzilla has shown us various faces over the past 70 years, but has always conveyed a strong social message through its massive presence and destructive power. Godzilla films have a profound appeal as a comprehensive art form that transcends entertainment, and through Godzilla's symbolic presence, artists have created works that address themes of destruction and rebirth and the relationship between nature and humanity.

This exhibition features works by Tetsuya Nakamura, Hiroki Tsukuda, Ryuichi Ohira, James Jarvis, Haroshi, Oliver Payne, Jean Jullien, Roby Dwi Antono, Stickymonger, TOKI, Pex Pitakpong, Julio Anaya Cabanding, Kotaro Abe Kontaro Abe, Yoshiki Muramatsu, and Tadanobu Asano are scheduled to participate. Each artist will create a unique work of art in a variety of techniques, media, and scales, each with his or her own feelings about Godzilla.

NANZUKA Co. hopes attendees will enjoy this exhibition.　

Photos courtesy of PARCO. © TOHO CO., LTD.

● Tetsuya Nakamura

Born in Chiba Prefecture in 1968, he studied lacquer art at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, and has since produced a variety of sculptures based on the themes that visual information can provide to living things.

Nakamura has been a modeler since high school, when he first became familiar with Godzilla and deepened his understanding of the creature. As a student of crafts, Nakamura came into contact with many Buddhist statues and found similarities between the changing styles of Japanese Buddhist art and the changing shapes of Godzilla, which further deepened his interest in the subject.

He likened Godzilla in the 1964 film MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA (モスラ対ゴジラ, Mosura tai Gojira) to a Buddhist statue from the Heian period, and said that this perfected the ideal form of Godzilla. This time, Nakamura will be creating the 1964 Godzilla and King Ghidorah.

● Ryuichi Ohira

Photo courtesy of PARCO.

Born in Tokyo in 1982 and raised in Chiba, Japan, Ryuichi Ohira received his doctorate from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2011.

"Godzilla has been a representative of absurdity for me since I was a child, and a kind of a 'reminder' for me. Godzilla appears suddenly and aimlessly in our daily lives and then leaves. In this work, I likened Godzilla to a hammer as a motif that symbolizes an absurd existence."

"I can't express 'Godzilla and the Hammer' well in words, but I thought it was a perfect fit and decided to create this work. Life is a series of absurdities. There seems to be no consistency between what happened a few seconds ago and what happens a few seconds later. So we have no choice but to love absurdity. I created Godzilla Hammer to love destruction and creation without reason, absurd death and life," said Ohira.

● James Jarvis

Photo courtesy of PARCO.

Born in 1970, James Jarvis is a London-based artist, illustrator and character designer. His artistic style is widely recognized and highly regarded in Japan.

He ran the company Amos with SILAS co-founder Russell Waterman from 2003 to 2013, and has recently collaborated with many global brands including NIKE, UNIQLO, IKEA, and adidas. James has collaborated with many global brands such as NIKE, UNIQLO, IKEA, and adidas.

James will be exhibiting his Godzilla works in the style of clipboards, which he draws one after another on paper in a free style.

● Haroshi

Photo courtesy of PARCO.

Haroshi is an artist who has been creating one-of-a-kind sculptures and installations using skateboard deck scraps since 2003.

Haroshi's work in this exhibition is inspired by the scene in which the original Godzilla first appeared. It is made from discarded skateboards, with Godzilla's teeth carved out of urethane wheels from skateboards that the artist himself had used. The phenomenon of skateboard weels getting stuck in the deck is called “wheelbite.” Inspired by this term, the artist attempted to reproduce a “wheelbite” by creating Godzilla's teeth out of wheels. The yellowing of the teeth reflects the color of the wheels that have been burned by sunlight while using a skateboard.

● Oliver Payne

Photo courtesy of PARCO.

Since the late 1990s, Oliver Payne has, as a collaborative artist with Nick Ralph, been actively creating video and installation works based on street culture such as skate, hardcore music, punk, and graffiti.

For this exhibition, Oliver was so inspired by the sound of the 1954 Godzilla movie that he decided to use it to create a piece of harsh noise music.

"It's exciting to create noise music using the sounds of the Godzilla movies, and to present it in Japan, a country where noise music is so well developed. This time, I created it with the help of my friend David Scott Stone, who creates sounds for Merzbow, Masonna, The Melvins, and others," said Oliver.

■ Event Exclusive Collectibles

● GODZILLA THE ART Exhibition Commemorative Movie Monster Series: Godzilla (1968) Tetsuya Nakamura ver. (GODZILLA THE ART 開催記念 ムービーモンスターシリーズ ゴジラ(1968) 中村哲也ver., GODZILLA THE ART Kaisai Kinen ​Mūbī Monsutā Shirīzu Gojira (1968) Nakamura Tetsuya ver.​ )

A Bandai limited edition Movie Monster Series: Godzilla (1968) figure with a new color design by participating artist Tetsuya Nakamura. Available exclusively to attendees of "GODZILLA THE ART by PARCO vol.4."

Price: 5,500円 (Approximately $35.54 U.S., Tax Included)

*The image is a prototype and may differ from the actual product.

● GODZILLA THE ART Commemorative Toho Large Monsters Series Godzilla (2023): Heat Radiation Version (GODZILLA THE ART 開催記念 ​ 東宝大怪獣シリーズ ゴジラ(2023) ​熱線放射バージョン, GODZILLA THE ART Kaisai Kinen ​Tōhō Daikaijū Shirīzu Gojira (2023) ​Nessen Hōsha Bājon)

This limited edition X-Plus figure is available to attendees of "GODZILLA THE ART by PARCO vol.4."

Price: 27,500円 (Approximately $177.68 U.S., Tax Included)

● GODZILLA THE ART - Limited Movie Monster Series: Godzilla (1954) Model (ムービーモンスターシリーズゴジラ(1954)雛形, Mūbī Monsutā Shirīzu Gojira (1954) Hinagata)

A Bandai limited edition Movie Monster Series: Godzilla (1954) Model figure is being sold exclusively at the GODZILLA THE ART events. The first Godzilla prototype was sculpted by Toho designer Teizo Toshimitsu to determine the look of the original Godzilla. At this stage of pre-production, Godzilla's body was designed to look as if it were covered with scales, which was different from the widely known Godzilla of today. This figure looks back to the very origins of Godzilla.

Price: 4,620円 (Approximately $29.85 U.S., Tax Included)

Photo courtesy of PARCO.

● T-Shirt (Tシャツ, Tīshatsu)

4 Designs

Price: 7,700円 (Approximately $49.75 U.S., Tax Included) Each

Photo courtesy of PARCO.

● Trading Acrylic Keychain (トレーディングアクリルキーホルダー, Torēdingu Akuriru Kīhorudā)

12 Designs

Price: 1,100円 (Approximately $7.11 U.S., Tax Included) Each

Photos courtesy of PARCO. © TOHO CO., LTD.

● Glass Magnets (ガラスマグネット, Garasu Magunetto)

12 Designs

Price: 825円 (Approximately $5.33 U.S., Tax Included) Each

Photo courtesy of PARCO.

● Pass Case (パスケース, Pasukēsu)

Price: 330円 (Approximately $2.13 U.S., Tax Included) Each

Photos courtesy of PARCO. © TOHO CO., LTD.

● Tote Bag (トートバッグ, Tōtobaggu)

3 Designs

Price: 4,400円 (Approximately $28.43 U.S., Tax Included) Each

Photos courtesy of PARCO. © TOHO CO., LTD.

● Poster (ポスター, Posutā)

5 Designs

Price: 3,300円 (Approximately $21.32 U.S., Tax Included) Each

 About PARCO Co., Ltd.

About Toho

Toho Company, Limited, is a Japanese entertainment studio focused on the development, production, exhibition, and distribution of powerful live action and animated content including motion pictures, television and theater. Founded in 1932, Toho remains a prominent force in bringing brands and original storytelling with versatile talents to audiences worldwide. Its subsidiaries include Toho Cinemas, the highest grossing exhibition company in Japan, and Toho International, Inc., a U.S. established incorporated company that manages and commercializes Toho’s intellectual property portfolio. To learn more, visit toho.co.jp/en.