MOMENT GINZA, 1999
Moment Ginza is Gonzalez-Foerster’s most historically important neon work. The phrase
was inspired by a streetscape in Tokyo, and refers to the vivid and transient atmosphere of
the contemporary urban environment, and the experience that overcomes a visitor within
an unfamiliar cityscape. The work indicates both an attempt to capture and present the
changing urban atmosphere in an exhibition as well as the failure to translate the fullness
of this experience.
The neon sign also refers to the exhibition Moment Ginza: City Guide curated by Dominique
Gonzalez-Foerster for Magasin/Centre National d’Art Contemporain in Grenoble and
for Färgfabriken in Stockholm in 1997. This exhibition included works by artists Felix
Gonzalez-Torres, Liam Gillick and Philippe Parreno, among others, which evoked the
atmosphere of the urban landscape.
“On Sunday afternoons ʻGinza’ – Tokyo’s famous avenue – is given
over to the pedestrians and closed to automobiles. As a result,
the atmosphere constantly changes, the asphalt is crossed in every direction,
a music- like feeling slowly moves in, daily events take on a colourful
aspect, and a subtle and transgressive choreography is set.
This is the Moment Ginza.”
“It’s an environment more than an exhibition, a potential space
between reality and virtuality – quite pleasant to walk through, exciting
to explore...urban moments – a city where people meet – a relational
architecture – an environment of light and atmosphere....”
Moment Ginza, 1999
(DGF186)
Exhibition view, 1984 – 1999. La Décennie, Centre Pompidou-Metz, Metz, 2014
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