About aaploit
aaploit is an independent, Tokyo-based platform in Japan, presenting critical writing on contemporary Japanese art practice.
Rather than functioning as a promotional media outlet, aaploit operates as a journal-led platform, publishing essays, reviews, and artist-focused texts that engage with artworks through sustained critical inquiry.
Our focus is not on quick interpretation or clear conclusions, but on forms of writing that allow meaning to unfold gradually—through attention, ambiguity, and continued reflection.
Name & Pronunciation
aaploit
Pronunciation: /ˈæp.lɔɪt/
(approx. “AP-loit”)
The name aaploit is derived from aplite, a fine-grained igneous rock often found alongside granite.
Aplite typically appears as a secondary formation—subtle, structural, and easily overlooked—yet it plays an essential role in the composition of the whole.
Compared to granite, aplite occurs in more limited distributions and is encountered only under specific geological conditions.
This rarity reflects aaploit’s view of contemporary art not as something encountered everywhere, but as something discovered through attention, timing, and context.
At the same time, aplite contains no colored minerals. Its pale, nearly monochrome appearance subtly alludes to the white cube—an exhibition space that appears neutral, yet is itself a constructed condition that frames how art is perceived.
The spelling aaploit is a coined term, intentionally altered from its geological origin.
It reflects the platform’s interest in practices that operate alongside dominant structures, quietly reshaping how value and meaning emerge in contemporary art.
The Journal
The Journal is central to aaploit’s activity.
It publishes stand-alone texts that often emerge from exhibition-making, long-term dialogue with artists, and independent research.
While some writings are rooted in specific exhibitions, they are developed to be read independently, beyond the context of an event or announcement.
The journal is addressed to readers familiar with contemporary art, curatorial practice, and critical theory, and prioritizes thinking with artworks rather than explaining them.
The Gallery
aaploit Gallery is the physical exhibition space operated by aaploit in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward.
The gallery works with a group of represented artists, while also developing long-term collaborations that extend beyond conventional exhibition cycles.
Exhibitions are approached as experimental sites where artistic practice, critical writing, and curatorial thinking intersect over time.
Director
Tsutomu Saito brings over 20 years of business consulting experience to his role as director of aaploit.
He holds an MFA from Kyoto University of the Arts, where his research focused on the work of Pierre Huyghe and questions of value creation in contemporary art.
Moving between business environments shaped by efficiency and growth pressure and the slower temporalities of art practice, his work is guided by a commitment to engaging with complexity without reducing it.
Location
TMK Building 2F
1-21-17 Sekiguchi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
Open: Friday–Sunday 13:00–18:00
Contact: info@aaploit.com