Following a month in London, Annie Leibovitz’s “Women: New Portraits” continues its 10-stop tour, with the exhibition arriving at Tokyo’s TOLOT/heuristic SHINONOME on February 20.An ongoing project that Leibovitz started with Susan Sontag in 1999, “Women: New Portraits” features new photographs joining those that were featured in the original photo book, which remains one of Leibovitz’s most popular works.As with the original exhibition, this iteration (commissioned by UBS, and launching in Japan to coincide with its 50th anniversary there) focuses on women from a wide variety of fields, including business, politics, the arts, and entertainment. Adele and Aung San Suu Kyi were among the notable names that featured in the London exhibition. Joining them as the show progresses around the world are figures such as Marina Abramović and Venus and Serena Williams.Former Olympian athlete and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner also makes an appearance. The famous “Call Me Caitlyn” Vanity Fair cover following her gender transition was shot by Leibovitz, and “Women: New Portraits” features another image from the same shoot.The women in the show are linked by their outstanding achievements, as defined by Leibovitz and her advisor on the project, Gloria Steinem, whose portrait is also included here.According to Zenji Nakamura, UBS’s Japan country head, this is an ideal time for such a body of work to come to Japan. “We feel the timing of this exhibition celebrating women’s professional achievements is ideal in that Japan is focused on increasing female participation and equality in its workforce,” he said.Following the other eight exhibitions that make up its 10-country tour (which goes on to San Francisco, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mexico, Istanbul, Frankfurt, New York, and Zurich), a set of the works will enter the UBS art collection, joining 30,000 other objects compiled over the company’s 50 years.“Women: New Portraits” runs February 20-March 13 at TOLOT/heuristic SHINONOME.
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