First Impressions

The protégé in Visual Arts, Masanori Handa, talks about the start of the mentoring year. Interviewed on 28 May 2008.

What interested you most about participating in the Rolex Arts initiative?

This whole project is flying in space – it’s going so fast! What interests me is the fact that I’m here today. I feel the uncertainty about what is going to happen, and this excites me the most.

Have you ever had a mentor before?

No. But the fact that I’ve come this far means that I owe some people who have taught me. I’ve never consciously regarded anyone as a mentor before. I could not single out one person above all the others. That’s why this project is so different for me.

What do you hope to get out of this collaboration?

It’s difficult to define. I’m expecting a lot, but at the same time it’s a completely unknown factor. So I really hope something wonderful will come out. I can tell that my motivation is already quite different from before, thanks to the project.

What was your first impression of your mentor, Rebecca Horn?

She was bright and lively. I was surprised. I’ve seen her work, and I had seen her face in a photograph, but being in her presence gave me joy. I felt that I could really connect with her – it’s as simple as that.

How do you think your work is similar to or different from your mentor’s?

When I saw her work, especially the one called “Unicorn”, I felt that her art comes with emotions. Like just before a storm comes and hits, you feel it is coming and your senses actually capture something. My work is an accumulation of my efforts to create something, and when I saw her work I felt the emotions lingering on afterwards. That impressed me when I saw it – the spiritual aspect. I liked it a lot.

Do you think that your mentor’s guidance will change your approach to your work?

I don’t know, but I’m excited about this opportunity. And I’m always looking for change.