Shūsaku Arakawa (Arakawa Shūsaku 荒川修作)

Japanese, 1936–2010

BiographyShusaku Arakawa, better known simply as Arakawa, pursued an artistic career as what he termed an “eternal outsider.” Born in 1936, he studied medicine and art in Tokyo. He became active in the short-lived Neo-Dada Organizers group formed in 1960. The group responded to the turbulent political climate with bold, transgressive public akushons (actions)—a cross between performance art and political demonstration.

Arakawa reportedly immigrated to New York in 1961 with only $14 in his pocket and the telephone number of conceptual artist Marcel Duchamp, who became a patron and mentor. Arakawa attended art school in Brooklyn where he met Madeline Gins. The two married in 1965 and collaborated on paintings, prints, poetry, installations, and architectural designs. They are perhaps best known for their theory of “reversible destiny,” expressed in architectural interiors with uneven, irregularly textured floors, open plans, and walls made of various materials and colors. According to Arakawa and Gins, aging and death can be avoided by keeping people in a “perpetually tentative relationship with their surroundings.” Ultimately unable to conquer death, Arakawa passed away on May 18, 2010.