Tokyo Exhibition: Waiting for Video

[Jonathan M Hall]

For those planning a visit to Tokyo in the next few months, including  
those who might attend the Society for Cinema and Media Studies  
Conference in May, allow me to mention a new exhibition at MOMAT  
(National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo).  If you're familiar with  
experimental film and video, most of the names will be unsurprising,  
but it could be a good opportunity to see some canonical work and  
discover one or two things you've not yet seen.

"Waiting for Video: Works from the 1960s to Today" runs from 31 March  
to 7 June.  The work focuses in part on connections between 16 mm  
film and video work and covers from the mid 1960s and 70s through to  
now. It features well known pieces by such names as Francis Alÿs,  
Andy Warhol, Lynda Benglis, John Baldessari, Bruce Nauman, Richard  
Serra, and  Nomura Hitoshi. (This should give some idea of the show's  
scope.)   The one-floor exhibition is split into five sections.   
Since many of the videos are quite lengthy, I'd suggest splitting  
your visit over a few days--or going on Friday when MOMAT is open late.

There is a thick catalog with descriptions of the works and short  
critical essays.  Three are translated and reprinted essays by Liz  
Kotz, Benjamin H. D. Buchloh, and Rosalind Krauss.  Another appears  
to be an original essay for the exhibition by Miwa Kenjin and is in  
both Japanese and English.

Jonathan M Hall
UC Irvine