Jean Jullien The Tank NANZUKA PUBLIC Installation

Courtesy Of The Artist And Nanzuka

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For nearly 20 years, NANZUKA has served as a premier destination for contemporary art in Tokyo. Founded by Shinji Nanzuka, the gallery has nestled several locations across the Japanese capital, showcasing prominent and emerging artists, including Hajime Sorayama and Keiichi Tanaami, as well as joining forces with Aisho Miura Arts in 2013 to form AISHONANZUKA gallery in Hong Kong.

NANZUKA has now added a new curatorial platform to its programming aptly titled PUBLC. The initiative will feature two-to-three artworks per year, enlisting the gallery’s growing list of international artists to form new dialogues in the buzzy city streets. For the inaugural entry, French artist Jean Jullien has unveiled a new installation entitled The Tank. On view in front of the new Shibuya AXSH building, the artwork depicts a fish tank of floating aquatic characters created in his scribbly two-dimensional aesthetic.

Having grown up in the West Coast of France, the sea has always shown to be a big inspiration for Jullien, whose great-grandfather was a fisherman and enjoyed going out to surf, fish and explore the ocean with his family. “I love drawing fish and shrimp, and I always tell my kids real and fictional stories about the creatures I catch,” Jullien said in a statement. “What I want to bring to the city of Shibuya with The Tank is a blend of fact and fiction.”

The Tank will be on view in front of the Shibuya Axsh building in Tokyo until Spring 2025.

NANZUKA PUBLIC
Shibuya Axsh
2 Chome-17-1 Shibuya,
Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0002, Japan