I always promised myself that one day I will start to write in English.
Well, today is the day. Prepare for the worst, I still don’t have an editor.
I often write about Tititi toys. Not so often as I write about Japan, of course, but this time I’m going to write about both (at last!). Sometimes Tititi toys are not only Tititi, but a collaboration. This year few of them (to be precise: five) were painted by Japanese artist Sota Sakuma (painter, sculptor and — the most exiting part — puppet maker, living in Prague). All the new toys are exhibited at Art & Design Pop-up Store at Vermont Home, not far from Powder Tower (U Prašné brány, 1) and, as life of every pop-up is short, not for a long time — from December 1st till December 22nd.
I’ve missed the opening ceremony with guests, live music, food (too important not to mention) and small talk, being too overwhelmed by non-missing everything else at the end of November, so I visited the Vermont space on a cosy Wednesday evening. Tourists, garlands, puddles and melting snow outside, wooden racks, toys by Tereza Talichová, shimmering glass by František Jungvirt, pottery by Veronika Pikrtová and styling by Klára Tománková inside. Only me, only beautiful things, only nice employees to discuss art.
Lucky me, nobody bought Tititi-Sakuma toys yet, so I was able to see them in flesh.
There were another Tititi toys at Vermont as well, a lot of them, old and new, some were not painted (the idea was to show the beauty of the wood, I believe), some were a self-portrait (one portrait, already reserved), all in new colourful boxes, for which you want to buy everything, they are so good, but the Japanese part of the exhibition (let’s call it something like this, regardless the prices) was the most exciting (for me — definitely).
Tititi-Sakuma toys are sold as a whole set of five (it’s easy to understand why), and I wish I could be the lucky one to get it, but right now I’m not rich enough to make ALL my dreams come true (although there is already nowhere to place my collection of valuable painted wood, it’s either me or the toys — life is hard).
Anyway, it’s also very nice to look at it, after all, art is about something else (maybe… not really… but in general, you know…).
These toys are very Tititi, as always, but also they are very Japanese and very Sota Sakuma. Very interesting combination, in my opinion.
Tititi — because you easily recognise the shapes of the little figurines (Commedia dell’arte set, famous and popular, which is also presented at Pop-up space). Japanese — for their colours and lines, for their stories and fairy tales that immediately come to mind, and for the dress of one of the figurines, showing a Daruma on it. This extremely noticeable detail can be found with traditional kokeshi: sometimes artist decorates a doll’s kimono with Bodhidharma’s face instead of flowers or stripes, two most common types of ornament. Since I always like to make parallels between Tereza’s toys and kokeshi dolls, that was my lucky opportunity to finally make it on purpose (though I know they are different, and I see they are different, but nothing can stop me from making parallels).
Finally, these toys are very Sato Sakuma because of his own style, of which you can get a general idea by looking at two paintings to the right of the entrance (by the way, they are also for sale). In one of the paintings (the one that evokes associations with Christmas, Bosch and Bruegel at the same time, or simpler: the larger one) a careful viewer could spot Jungvirt’s vases and Tititi toys, which were intentionally added, when the artist was finishing his work for the opening of the Pop-up Store. If nothing attracts your attention, it’s okay too, you will be told about it and even will get some hints where to find all this stuff on the canvas.
Of course, it would be nice to see Sakuma’s puppets next to the collaboration as well, but not in this format: it’s all about shapes and contours of the modern Czech design and art (in a sense, figurines and vases repeat each other). The examples that can be seen at Vermont are some of the best, pre-holiday atmosphere of the Old Town makes them even better, and if you can, don’t miss it.
Just note, it is closed on Mondays, so only the showcase is available.
