Visiting Königgalerie Tokyo

A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon a NY Times article by chance that reported renowned German gallerist Johann König would be setting up shop in Tokyo. Even better, the first exhibition would feature Jürgen Teller, one of my favorite photographers. Awesome! So after this place opened on Saturday, November 9th, I made my way down to Ginza. At this point I should preface by saying that the gallery is situated on the 6th floor of luxury boutique MCM (what else would you expect in Ginza). These places -as almost all retail outlets in Tokyo- are usually open on Sundays. Well, on that day I did have the chance to buy expensive luggage, but it turns out the gallery is closed Sundays and Mondays.

Since I had some errands to run in Ginza this Saturday, I gave it another shot – this time it did work out.

Heimweh features old and new works of Teller, exploring homesickness and the photographer’s experience as a European emigrant in the UK amidst the Brexit madness. Most of these photos have been on display in another composition previously. (I myself have been able to see some of them back in 2016 when Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn dedicated an exhibition to Teller.) Nevertheless, it was well worth the visit, of course. I got the feeling that Teller’s photographs, often times having a very raw and unpretentious character, stand in somewhat of a contrast to its Japanese surroundings. A place where things are generally expected to be neat, tidy, and convenient.

The exhibition will be on until January 11 in the MCM Ginza House.