Comité Colbert based the artist prompt on its utopian concept Rêver 2074. Image credit: Tokyo University of the Arts
Members of France’s Comité Colbert are reaffirming French luxury’s positioning in Japan through a dialogue with 50 up-and-coming Japanese artists.
Japan has proved a successful market for luxury brands of all sizes and craft category, resulting in well-developed retail networks in major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto. On average, the Japanese market represents 10 percent of luxury export sales, and for some goods categories the figure jumps to more than 60 percent.
To affinities and beyond
As French luxury continues to see growth in Japan, members of Comité Colbert wanted to pay tribute to the country’s strong affinities for luxury goods. Both cultures share appreciation for detail, sophistication, excellence and superior quality with emphasis on creativity and craft.
To celebrate its relationship with Japan, Comité Colbert members have invited 50 young Japanese artists to “project themselves into an optimistic future” through a science fiction exercise.
Comité Colbert based its creative prompt on its Rêver 2074, or Dreaming 2074, initiative. Launched in 2014, Comité Colbert asked its 78 luxury houses and 14 cultural institutions to pen a utopian tale set in 2074, or 60 years on from the group’s 60th anniversary (see story).
Poster for Comité Colbert's Rêver 2074 exhibit at the Tokyo University of the Arts June 17-25. Image credit: Tokyo University of the Arts
“The utopia created by French luxury has inspired these young Japanese artists, giving rise to a fruitful dialogue between our two cultures,” said Elisabeth Ponsolle des Portes, president and CEO of Comité Colbert, in a statement.
“For our sector, cultivating cultural affinities is a major sense of strength and provides a highly original foundation for our international strategy,” she said.
The artwork of Japanese artists will be on view at the Tokyo University of the Arts from June 17-25.
A jury of 10 French and Japanese judges will then select three finalists from the 50 participants. The work of the three finalists will then be exhibited during Paris’ FIAC international art fair in October.