faro WORKPLACE

We are pleased to announce the dual exhibition by Andreas Greiner and Takeshi Yasura at both the Nakameguro and Kagurazaka venues of faro WORKPLACE.


Amidst the looming challenges thrust upon us by the global environmental crisis, recent years have seen a greater frequency of natural disasters such as wildfires and floods, directly impacting our lives. Against this background, Andreas Greiner and Takeshi Yasura have taken a deep interest in the history of and relationship between nature and culture, posing important questions through their work.


Kulturfrau is a term we encountered through ongoing dialogues with both artists who, from Germany and Japan respectively, each have distinct cultural backgrounds. The term refers to the women in post-World War II Germany who engaged in tree planting activities, and whose image is even engraved on German coins. In German, kultur means both “culture and education” as well as “cultivation, reclamation, and farming.” Frau refers to a woman and is also a respectful title used after a person’s name, equivalent to the Japanese honorific san (さん). During the creative process, Greiner ventured into forests, while Yasura climbed the Himalayas, each confronting nature in different ways. Planting a single tree, which will eventually grow into a vast forest—similar to a single drop of water, the actions of these artists are modest yet powerful at the same time, just like those of the Kulturfrau who confronted nature during the chaotic post-war period.


At both venues, we will showcase works produced as a result of extensive research into the relationship between nature and culture, utilizing installation, video, objects and various other expressive forms. Through these works, the similarities and differences between these two artists will emerge, thereby deepening the significance of art in bringing multifaceted perspectives to the issues at hand. It is our hope that they will serve as “seeds” that lead each of us to individual actions.