Tuesday 12 November 2019

Juergen Teller inspires Tokyo in new MCM art space

MCM and Berlin-based art gallery König Galerie have opened a 3,000sq ft exhibition space for contemporary artists at the German luxury brand’s flagship Ginza Haus I store in Tokyo. 

The opening show is a solo exhibition by world-renowned German fashion photographer Juergen Teller. On November 9, MCM and König Galerie celebrated the grand opening of the space in the presence of Teller, with more than 200 guests from the worlds of art, fashion and culture gathering for the inaugural exhibition. Hosted by MCM’s Global Creative Officer Dirk Schoenberger and gallerists Johann and Lena König, notable guests included the German ambassador to Japan Ina Lepel, Shota Matsuda, Rila Fukushima, and Mariya Nishiuchi.

From left: Dirk Schoenberger, Juergen Teller and Johann Koenig at MCM Ginza Haus 1 in Tokyo (Photo by Ken Ishii/Getty Images for MCM/Koenig Galerie)

Titled Heimweh, the show centres on the concept of homesickness, a re-evaluation of Teller’s German identity and his position as a European immigrant to the UK amid the ongoing Brexit uncertainty. Many of the works are shown in public for the first time. Set up as an interplay between large-scale formats and smaller pictures, the exhibition runs from November 9 until January 2020.

Juergen Teller's art on display at Koenig Tokio gallery

With a focus on showcasing a roster of key influential German, Austrian and Swiss artists in Japan, the temporary König Tokio gallery will run multiple exhibitions until December 2020. Among them will be internationally renowned artists such as Katharina Grosse, Alicja Kwade, and Erwin Wurm.

MCM Ginza Haus I is MCM’s concept space celebrating the brand’s heritage of culture, craft and creativity, and is described as an architectural landmark where art, fashion and culture converge.