"Between Original and Reproduction:
The Art of Making Copies - from D(uchamp) to D(NA)"

The University Museum, The University of Tokyo presents:
Special Exhibition XII from collections in The University of Tokyo



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Acknowledgements


We express our gratitude to the following institutions, which generously lent us important works for the present exhibit: Bridgestone Museum of Art, Ishibashi Foundation, National Museum of Japanese History, The National Science Museum, Kiyoshikojin-Seicho-ji Temple, Mr.AKASEGAWA Genpei, SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Tessai Museum, Kohfukuji, Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, and Center for Research on Pictorial Cultural Resources. We also appreciate Toppan Printing Co., Ltd., for their enormous contribution to the catalogue production. Finally, we are grateful to each of the following companies who cooperated with us in research related to this project: Hitachi, Ltd., KYOTO KAGAKU CO., LTD., IWASAKI Co., Ltd., Tansei Institute Co., Ltd., YAMAGIWA CORPORATION, Jepro Forum Co., UNICA CO., LTD., BOKUUNDO CO., KENZAN-TOKYO CO., and Handa Kyuseido.


Participants


ABE Syuei / ARAMATA Hiroshi / ARIFUKU Kazuaki / BEPPU Yumiko / CHIBA Tomoyuki / EBINA Midori / ENDO Hidenori / FUJIKAWA Satoshi / FUJITA Atsuko / FUKUZUMI Haruo / FUMOTO Ayumi / FUTAKO Noboru / GLOVER Yoshikazu / GOTO Daisuke / HANDA Tatsuji / HASHIMOTO Norihito / HAYAKAWA Akihiro / HIGUCHI Hiroyoshi / HORIUCHI Junichi / HOSAKA Chiyo / IKEMIZU Mito / IKEUCHI Katsushi / IKEUCHI Masatsugu / IMAMURA Keiji / INOUE Taisuke / INOUE Yuichi / ISHII Rie / ISOGAI Yuki / ISONO Masaaki / IWAMOTO Yumiko / IWASA Tetsuo / IZEKI Daisuke / JITSUKAWA Rie / KAMAKURA Manako / KAMIUCHIToshiro / KAMIYA Toshiro / KANAZAWA Momoe / KANEKO Masahisa / KATAYAMA Naoki / KATO Toshikazu / KATORI Yuko / KIDO Atsuro / KINOSHITA Chiharu / KINOSHITA Naoyuki / KOHNO Toshitake / KOMATSU Kaori / KOMIYAMA Hiroshi / KONDO Yasuhisa / KONDO Yuki / KONISHI Yasumasa / KUBO Yoko / KUMAGAI Kaoru / KURASHIGE Yuhei / KUSASHIO Takuro / KUSHIDA Kiyomi / MAEDA Hiroshi / MASUDA Tomohito / MATSUDA Akira / MATSUURA Ryosuke / MIKUNI Hiroko / MINAMI Natsuki / MINATO Sonoko / MIURA Atsushi / MIYAIRI Yosuke / MIYAZAKI Katsumi / MIYAZAKI Yumiko / MIZUNO Ryo / MORI Yumiko / MORITA Minori / MURAO Naho / MURATA Mariko / NAGANUMA Akiko / NAGASAWA Yuko / NAGASHIMA Akio / NAITO Yosuke / NAKAHARA Yusuke / NAKAMURA Hiroaki / NAKAMURA Takenori / NAKATA Yuko / NAKATSUUMI Yuko / NEGISHI Hiroshi / NISHIAKI Yoshihiro / NISHINO Yoshiaki / NISHITAKATSUJI Nobuhiro / NISHIZONO Kiyoko / OKABE Akinari / OKAMOCHI Mitsuhiko / OGAWA Makiko / OGAWA Yayoi / OMATA Hitomi / OMICHI Juntaro / ONUKI Yoshio / OTSUKA Kimio / SAGAWA Tatemasa / SAJI Yukari / SAKAMOTO Kensaku / SAKAMOTO Mitsukane / SAKAMOTO Miya / SAKAMURA Ken / SARUTA Ei / SASAKI Moritoshi / SATANI Kazuhiko / SATO Hiroko / SATO Kenichi / SATO Naofumi / SATO Takanobu / SAWA Akihiro / SEKINE Junko / SHIBUYA Miwa / SHIBUYA Yuki / SHIOBARA Akihiko / SHIOKAWA Makoto / SHIOZAKI Hiroshi / SUGIMURA Ayako / SUGIYAMA Naoko / SUZUKI Chikahiko / SUZUKI Hiroyuki / SUZUKI Yohei / SUWA Gen / TABEI Rie / TAGAI Tokuhei / TAKADO Takashi / TAKAHASHI Kana / TAKAHASHI Ken / TAKATSUKI Seiki / TAKEMOTO Masayo / TAKIDA Mizuki / TAKUBO Chiaki / TANABE Mie / TANAKA Chiaki / TANAKA Toshiko / TATE Hazuki / TERADA Ayumi / TSUJI Yoshiko / TSUNODA Takuro /TSURUMI Eisei /TSUTSUI Yayoi / UNNO Kazuo / USAKA Tomonori / USHINO Tsuyoshi / YABE Mikiko / YAMADA Toshihiro / YAMAZAKI Toko / YAMAZAKI Wakako / YANO Nanae / YASUKAWA Toru / YOKOYAMA Yukiko / YOSHIDA Kunio / YOSHIFUJI Shinkichi / YUASA Makiko / WATAMURA Ayako / WATANABE Yo

Bridgestone Museum of Art, Ishibashi Foundation / IWASAKI Be-I Co., Ltd. / Kohfukuji / KRANTS Co. / KYOTO KAGAKU CO., LTD. / National Museum of Japanese History / The National Science Museum / Tansei Institute Co., Ltd. / Tessai Museum / Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. / Yamashina Institute for Ornithology / The College Art Museum, College of Arts Sciences, The University of Tokyo / General Library, The University of Tokyo / Graduate School of Arts and Sciences & Faculty of Letters, The University of Tokyo / Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology & Faculty of Letters, The University of Tokyo / Graduate School of Mathematical Sciences, The University of Tokyo / Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo / Medical Museum, Graduate School of Medicine & Faculty of Medicine, The University of Tokyo / Center for Research on Pictorial Cultural Resources


Preface


Today we are surrounded by a lot of "copies". Although we use the word "copy" simply, it means not only a precise replica produced as an essence of artistry or reprints like photographs and printed matters but also despised forgeries, reproductions, imitations, representations, models, fakes, counterfeits, shams, and even recent digital images and virtual realities which do not carry substance. Thus, "copy" includes substantial and non-substantial objects which vary widely and extensively in shape and phase. Therefore, it is difficult to define clearly what a copy is.

However, it is certain that "copies" overflow wildly and ceaselessly as one "copy" is then used as a model for another "copy", and inversely an "original" generating a "copy" fades away. The traditional principle which maintains that only an original work of art can be orthodox and its existence is absolutely sacred and a priori is being challenged. Instead, the pragmatic thought that the "copy" is useful enough as a substitute for its original is becoming the trend.

Recognizing such current trends of this age, we discuss how our existence is surrounded by copy phenomenon, that is, things copied, copying them, using copies, and consisting of copies, moreover, things or behaviors that only exist in copies.

As a matter of course, when we question the copy issue, at the same time we question the existing conditions of the concept of what is "original", the opposite of "copy". Furthermore, we will reveal that the traditional original versus copy dualism is fake and fictitious. As the copy is not easy to define, the original also defies easy definition. However, according to our observation, we often find copying at the basis of generative formation. If it is considered like the above, before you conclude that copied things are not original, we suggest that you invert the common sense and affirm that what claims original and is called original is merely the result of "copy".

This exhibition is held in order to open to the public the fruits of our study from the 1999 〜 2001 seminar of Museo-technology. This seminar's purpose was to experience the planning and implementation of an exhibition and was attended by more than one hundred undergraduate and graduate students. The students have discussed the planning and the choice of objects, arranged the loans of the objects, organized the exhibition, documented the catalogue, handled publicity, and kept a record of the exhibition for eighteen months. We are proud of the number of the participants in this project, and are trying to evaluate its effectiveness. We would be pleased to have your sincere evaluation and criticism concerning on the contents of this exhibition and its catalogue.

Realization of this exhibition has required the collaboration and support of many scholars, research groups, and institutions in various fields. We are grateful to those who gave us intensive lectures on their specialties in the seminar, both public and private institutions that cooperated with our many kinds of research, the museums and individuals who loaned us their valuable collections, and others involved in this project. We would like to extend our thanks to all the institutions and individuals who contribute in many ways to realize the exhibition "Between Original and Reproduction: the Art of Making Copies — from Duchamp to DNA".

October 20, 2001
NISHINO Yoshiaki, Professor
The University Museum, The University of Tokyo





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