This exhibition features the T2 Collection, collected by Takafumi Takahashi over the past six years. Takahashi is a renowned figure in the field of Big Data and AI. The T2 Collection Exhibition will showcase approximately 35 artworks, including a Bernard Frize work, the first piece Takahashi purchased as an art collector, as well as conceptual works and pieces from artists such as Tatsuo Miyajima, Kohei Nawa, and Reijiro Wada that have captivated him in recent years.

Contemporary art serves as a medium for present-day artists to express their messages on themes such as society, art, culture, and politics in various forms. Living in the same era, we can discover connections to ourselves and gain new perspectives through engaging with these works.

Takahashi began his journey in art collecting by finding common ground between artists and entrepreneurs, recognizing that both challenge the world with their unique concepts and visions. He is particularly enthusiastic about acquiring works from artists who embrace new challenges, as well as those by emerging artists. Through this journey, he has cultivated a vibrant community of artists, collectors, and art professionals. He finds joy not only in collecting artworks but also in connecting with a diverse community of people, values, and perspectives. Reflecting on his experience, Takahashi observes that the connections between each of these individual points can unexpectedly form meaningful constellations, like stars in the sky.

This exhibition offers visitors the chance to interpret the artworks’ messages from the visitors’ perspective, relate them to their personal thoughts and values, and experience how individual “points” connect with various other “points.”

– Collector’s Note by Takafumi Takahashi

An encounter with an art piece.

Sometimes it instantly captivates me, and other times, it begins with a “?” and ends with an “a-ha” moment once I hear its backstory.

Ultimately, I am left with a sense of awe, marveling, “What an incredible creation.” What I have is genuine respect for the artist’s sensibility, knowledge, creativity, craftsmanship, action-oriented approach, and, above all, passion.

As I sought out such artworks one by one, I inadvertently gained the label of a “collector,” even though it was never my intention to build a “collection.” Encountering one art piece, one artist, led to encountering another. Delighting in and embracing this series of moments, it has evolved into this exhibition.

Due to the nature of these pieces, the staff at Warehouse TERRADA has put a tremendous amount of effort into the selection and curation process. My deepest appreciation goes to them. Nonetheless, this remains an eclectic collection of art pieces—I encourage you to leisurely explore each piece individually as you encounter them.

It would be a privilege if you could experience even one encounter that resonates with you, as it will be the newest addition to the successive moments of connection between us and the artworks.

[Highlights]

– The first public exhibition of Takafumi Takahashi’s private collection

This exhibition is the first occasion to showcase Takafumi Takahashi’s collection, the T2 Collection, to the public. It illustrates the story of the past and future vision of Takahashi’s collection, which was amassed for six years since he stepped into the world of contemporary art. Takahashi has expressed his desire to help provide a supportive environment for artists from a broader perspective, and in recent years he has extended his efforts from acquiring artworks to supporting the development of new curators and art critics. Depending on the direction of such initiatives, this large-scale exhibition may be the first and the last of its kind.

– The unexpected perspectives of conceptual art

Conceptual art may seem difficult to understand at first glance. Some of the exhibited work feature materials and tools that we usually see in our daily lives, framed in unexpected ways. Through the composition of the exhibition and interpretations, visitors can engage with each artwork one by one and appreciate the artists’ perspectives and ideas.

– Artwork integrating concepts of cameras and photography

One of the exhibition rooms is dedicated to works that feature a familiar theme: cameras and photos. This room showcases how contemporary artists have developed their own forms of photographic expression against the background of the changing technology and roles of cameras and photography.

– The exhibition design linked to the exhibited work

Takahashi values interacting with diverse ideas and perspectives through engagement with artworks, artists, and the art community. This exhibition provides an opportunity for visitors to link their own thoughts and values to the artworks and to feel a connection with the art and artists living in the same era.

[About Takafumi Takahashi] 

Co-founder and chairman of BrainPad Inc. / Chairman of the Board, President of The Japan Data Scientist Society

After completing a master’s degree at the Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance, Takahashi worked for a foreign computer company before becoming an entrepreneur in 2000. His second company, BrainPad, promotes the use of big data and AI.

Takahashi has since been involved in various initiatives that promote data utilization in Japan.

He began collecting contemporary art in 2018 at the recommendation of a friend, and it has brought him a great source of joy. He founded and is currently the head of a contemporary art club within EO, a collective of entrepreneurs, to share the joy of collecting art and increase the number of young collectors.

Takahashi is also an active participant in projects working to solve issues in the contemporary art world, including his involvement in the Japan branch of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) in the U.S., an institution fighting for gender equality in the art world.

 [Audio Guides]

By downloading the official WHAT MUSEUM app, visitors can use the audio guide when visiting the museum. (Free) The Japanese audio guide navigator for this exhibition is Yurina Takiguchi, an economic and business anchor. She will offer accessible explanations of the artworks on display and highlights of the exhibition to help visitors better appreciate the exhibition.