TAB Talks
Next talk #8 “Laurent Ghnassia: Evolutionary Brand Strategy and Art”
June 3rd from 20:30

For this next TAB Talk we are delighted to welcome the former art director of agnes b. in Tokyo, Laurent Ghnassia, who has worked with numerous creators in the fields of art and branding. Ghnassia’s own art engineering studio, “La Boite”, has done much to promote deeper connections between the Japanese and foreign art worlds, as well as encourage the diversification and rejuvenation of the art scene in general.
Art and business are sometimes said to be opposed to each other. How much of the conducive environment that lets artists continue working with creative freedom is linked to phenomena like branding? Ghnassia will offer new perspectives on the coexistence between Japanese art and business.
Profile

Born in France in 1967. After graduating in Mathematical Economics from the University of Toulouse, he spent 2 years traveling around the world while enrolled at the economic research institute of a bank in Paris. Upon his return to Europe he joined the team at a film production company in Brussels, Belgium, before assuming the position of director at the International Documentary Film Festival, Marseilles. He then came to Japan as art director for the Japanese culture promotion department at fashion label agnes b, and spent the next three years organizing and producing cultural events in a variety of media such as film, fashion, music and art. Ghnassia currently handles art direction, curatorship and production at his own company, La Boite.
Recently, Ghnassia has been collaborating with Japanese furniture brands at the Yokohama Museum of Art, acting as producer for three art spaces in addition to taking charge of the permanent collection of artwork and furniture pieces. After being involved in a group exhibition of French and Japanese contemporary artists at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, 2008 sees him working on a 69-day eroticism exhibition of Japanese female artists as well as preparing for an exhibition at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music in July.
In short, Ghnassia effortlessly straddles and supports both art and business through his manifold activities.

La Boite
http://www.la-boite.org
Date

June 3, 2008
Fee

Adults: \1000, students: \800
Full details

http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2008/3883

TAB Talks are bilingual Japanese-English and start at 8:30pm.
Limited seating of 90, come early.