Satoshi Hashimoto : I was Leonardo da Vinci. I sell my soul. I sell heaven.

AOYAMA | MEGURO is pleased to announce our first solo exhibition with artist Satoshi Hashimoto (b. 1977). With his events and exhibitions happening almost every month inside and outside Japan, such as "Arbitrary Decisions and Prejudices: I Divide the Audience" (The National Art Center Tokyo, 2012), "False Name" ("14 Evenings," The National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, 2012), and so on, Hashimoto is one of the most "marked" artists today. In the present exhibition, Hashimoto for the first time unveils his best-kept secret that he was in fact Leonardo da Vinci (b. 1452). The installation consists of not only a video that proves that he originally came from heaven and he was Leonardo, but also his land in heaven, his own soul, remakes of his paintings in the 19th century, inventions as a result of his long-term study, maps created with a concept that he had bought from someone, videos that document his outdoor performances held on the street last year, and so on, all of which are on sale. It has been exactly 500 years since he, as Leonardo, quit painting in 1513. It is on this occasion that you are cordially invited to witness the artist's disclosure of the historical truth, which has been concealed as a secret until now. At the same time, it offers you such a rare opportunity to examine the latest activities of Leonardo da Vinci/Satoshi Hashimoto, as well as how future will be like, including your own after life. Below is a message written by the artist about the exhibition. I was Leonardo da Vinci. I sell my soul. I sell heaven. I came from heaven. In heaven, I own a wonderful land envied by people there. The blessings bestowed by my land are even better than a combination of the best ones on the earth today, such as Polynesia's beautiful nature, Japan's infrastructure, China's vast land, Iran's energy resources, the European Union's cultural heritages, Northern Europe's public welfare, and the USA's political power. Although I used to plan to go back to this place once I die, I have determined to sell the land, because now I think I will probably have to go to another place. If you have done noting atrocious, you can probably get to heaven. It is in fact much easier than you imagine. Nevertheless, it is not that in heaven everyone is in an equal situation. It may not be a good place for you. In some cases, your days can get quite hellish there. So, in order not to have a deadly afterlife at the mercy of fate, I recommend you buy this invaluable land, so that great days will be guaranteed for you. Although it is worth an astronomical price, I give you an exceptional discount, as I guess each of you has a different religious or world view and so most of you are suspicious. Above all, poor and needy here on the earth, I have trouble making a living, and I have a deep attachment to this world. Because most of you may take this as a fiction, I need to gain wider understanding. Thus, in this exhibition, I will not only confess but also prove that I was Leonardo da Vinci. You never know when you will die; There are accidents, diseases, natural disasters, wars, murders, and suicides.