Yasuo Sumi. NOTHING BUT THE FUTURE

Yasuo Sumi Sumi | Nothing but the Future, as any other ABC-ARTE event, comes from our firm belief in the needing of collective participation. This exhibition represents a homage we cannot share with the esteemed Master Yasuo Sumi, who passed away on October the 12th 2015, when the show was still in progress. Through this catalogue, we hope you are going to feel our respect and strong admiration for this Master.

After coordinating the 2008 event dedicated to Shozo Shimamoto, including his performance at Palazzo Ducale in Genoa and the exhibition at the Villa Croce Museum of Contemporary Arts, curated by Achille Bonito Oliva, ABC-ARTE will present in Genoa the anthological exhibition of master Yasuo Sumi, curated by Flaminio Gualdoni,. 

The retrospective of this Japanese artist will show, through a chronological selection, the artistic career of the Gutai master, from his first works to his most recent performances. The exhibition includes very rare works, coming from international and prestigious Museums and private collections, divided by decades of realisation. Each section will follow an educational diachronic itinerary, comparing the major historical – artistic events and the most relevant postwar personalities (Fontana, Cage, Pollock, Kaprow, Mathieu), to create a complete and suitable profile of the artist.

The selected works have been made on typical supports used by Master Sumi: canvas, net with paper included, cardboard, his first Gutai works on paper, scroll and textures. 

The catalogue will include a section with historical photos, showing performances and everyday life of Master Sumi, to illustrate his artistic concepts in the most complete way, plus a collection of texts from his autobiography. 

I strongly believe this event is an important occasion to study a central author in the history of art in the XXth century. It will highlight a special period for history, politics, culture and art, when revolutionary artistic concepts reached Europe, United States and Japan through parallel ways. 

Nothing but the future represents again another opportunity for ABC-ARTE to attract and engage the attention of great audiences, starting from our city and fellow citizens as well as art lovers and young people.

I would like to give a special thanks to Associazione Culturale Spazio Arte dei Mori (Venice) and the Yasuo Sumi archive by Andrea Mardegan (Ibaraki, Japan) for their collaboration to the organisation of this exhibition, and also to all institutions mentioned in our catalogue, for their full support towards our event.