Kyoko Hattori, Vice President, Pace Gallery, on leading the development of Pace Tokyo and the changing dynamics of the Japanese art scene.
Kyoko Hattori. Courtesy Pace Gallery.
We’re eager to learn about the opening of the space. How did that go, what was the approach for introducing Pace to Japan?
We opened in July. That probably doesn’t make sense to people in New York, but Pace is not yet known in Japan. So, we invited forty artists for a special preview [before programming begins in the Fall]. It was great—we actually had too many people show up. Since then, I’ve been trying to invite groups of collectors over breakfast or cocktails. Everyone is so excited and so eager to learn what is collected in New York, in one of its most prestigious galleries. I’m getting very good feedback.
Have Japanese collectors been interested, or are you speaking mainly with the collector base that Pace already has established?
Mainly Japanese collectors, but we also received many visitors from outside Japan. I actually didn’t realize that so many collectors visit Tokyo, but maybe that’s because it was the weekend.
Installation view: Group Presentation, Pace Tokyo, 2024. Photo by Keizo Kioku, courtesy Pace Gallery
We’ve heard that there are a good deal of Chinese expats who come to Tokyo, and bring their buying power over to Japan. Did you observe that there were many Chinese collectors at the opening?
Yeah, we have a huge group of Chinese collectors. There are many who are buying condos in Japan and trying to send their kids to the international schools here.
I also have come to understand that many artists in Hong Kong would like to do shows in Japan. Not only because of the restrictions [in mainland China], but because of our culture.
So more broadly, why did it make sense for Pace to open in Tokyo? What made it clear that Tokyo was ready for an outpost from a blue-chip American gallery?
There are many different layers to this. One that we can’t neglect is that Pace has a long history with Japan. When Japan had a contemporary art market in the 1980’s, we had a lot of business here even though we didn’t have a space in the country. But Pace brought works to museums and to private collectors, so the history is there.
And more recently, a new generation of Japanese collectors has come to the market. After Yusaku Maezawa started collecting, people in Japan started to think that art is something they should look into. We have a growing group of entrepreneurs who are eager to collect not only Japanese artists, but also international artists.
Maysha Mohamedi, Pseudonym, 2024. Oil on canvas, 73 × 101 inches (185.4 cm × 256.5 cm). © Maysha Mohamedi, courtesy Pace Gallery.
How does Tokyo’s art market differ from other major Asian cities like Seoul or Hong Kong?
One important difference is that Japanese people already have collecting in our culture. Before these entrepreneurs were collecting in this way, there’s a history of it in tea ceremonies dating back to the 1800’s. We love to collect, learn about and nurture art. It’s in how we change and redecorate our houses every season.
Then, in the 1980’s, Japanese people started collecting modern art. That was the trend at the time, but the culture was always there. Now, we’ve come to the stage where we can get Japanese people buying more domestic art. I think the government is trying to adapt to accommodate art collecting as the next growth industry.
What regulations have changed to encourage that?
It used to be very difficult to bring in artwork from overseas. We had to pay a 10% tax in advance. Then that money had to sit for, like, half a year before it was returned. That has changed if you satisfy certain criteria. We’ve been getting very good feedback from congressmen. They want to learn about Pace Gallery and about the art world, and how the art market is outside of Tokyo.
I think people are comparing Tokyo to how [the art market expanded] in Korea. Seoul has done so much with Frieze Seoul and bringing in international galleries. Tokyo is behind Seoul in that regard. I’m hoping that with the success of Pace, more international galleries will come to Tokyo and revitalize the art market here. It’ll be good for [art] professionals, but also good for Japanese artists because they’re going to be seen by international galleries.
Pace Gallery, Tokyo. Photo by Nacasa & Partners, courtesy Pace Gallery.
There’s good traction with Pace and BLUM. If more came, do you think that having a major art fair would be good for Tokyo?
I really want a major art fair in Tokyo. I think that’s kind of essential. The one major issue is that we don’t have space. We don’t have a huge convention center, or place to host an art fair. We have the Gendai, but I think we need something bigger. I think the government is working on it, and we really need everybody’s effort to bring in a major fair.
