Ryuichi Sakamotom flavour of the month
Tokyo is the art capital of the World in terms of the number of eyeballs on artworks if not actual sales, so what is on offer in the galleries and museums as we start to notice the first stirrings of Spring? Here are TOKYO-MET's always radical picks to help you step outside your comfort zone.
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO | SEEING SOUND, HEARING TIME
There is a problem with this show at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo... It's less than 2 years since music legend Sakamoto died, so this major exhibition has become something of a homage-paying event. This means it can be quite busy, which is the last thing you want for the three-dimensional sound installations that make up the heart of this show. It is especially crowded on afternoons during weekends and national holidays, so best to visit on a weekday before noon to catch these experimental creative artworks at their best. Now - Mar 30. Price: ¥2,400 Read more here.
Ryuichi Sakamoto with Shiro Takatani, IS YOUR TIME (2017/2023)
BRITISH ART OF THE 1980s
It can be hard on the wallet to visit some of the higher profile Tokyo exhibitions (see above), but the SETAGAYA MUSEUM OF ART in its parkland setting works extra hard keeping art "accessible" (i.e. cheap). The latest exhibition looks at British artists of the 1980s, including wood sculptures by David Nash and the domestic-themed paintings of Anthony Green (1939-2023). Accompanying the artworks are photographs of past exhibitions at the museum featuring British contemporary art. They have even managed to get Winston Churchill's name on the flyer, although I'm not yet sure how. Now - Apr 6th. Price: ¥200. Read more here.
Sendai Nash (1984) David Nash
EYES ON MEXICO
Mexican Art was a big hit in 1950s Japan, having a potent impact on some of Japan's most well-known artists, such as Ichiro Fukuzawa, Taro Okamoto, Mitsuto Toneyama, Saori Akutagawa, and On Kawara. The Saitama Prefectural Museum of Modern Art, for reasons best known to itself, has had a long-standing interest in contemporary art from South of the Rio Grande, building up a respectable collection. This exhibition will present the museum's Mexican collection and the history of its formation, focusing on the work of curator Masayoshi Honma, who worked to popularize Mexican art back in the day. 1st Feb - 11th May 2025. PRICE: ¥900. Read more here.
BEARDSLEY, A SINGULAR PRODIGY
Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898) died at the age of 25, in the process becoming the perfect symbol for sickly Victorian decadence that was to be swept away by the raucous vigour of the 20th century. Not unlike the MITSUBISHI ICHIGOKAN MUSEUM itself, I dare say. The Museum is a faithful 21st century rebuild of 19th century Josiah Conder building that was knocked down in the 1960s after surviving war and earthquakes. With 220 works sourced from London's V&A, Beardsley's elegant but eldritch "eroguro" art is definitely a snug fit here. Works include his illustrations for Mallory's "The Death of King Arthur" (1893-94), Wilde's "Salome" (1894), and Gautier's "Miss Maupin" (1897). 220 works. 25th Feb - 11th May 2025. PRICE: ¥2,300. Read more here.
The Climax (1893), Aubrey Beardsley
PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED BUT STILL RUNNING
LE CORBUSIER: THE SYNTHESIS OF THE ARTS 1930-1965
THE SHIODOME MUSEUM OF ART is one of the best run art museums in Tokyo and always presents well-put-together shows. This time they are focusing on Le Corbusier (1887-1965), the iconic modernist architect. Back in the day, the Frenchman was almost as well known for his art. But while his architecture focused on form from function, his art, represented here by several paintings and sculptures, expressed the cubism and surrealism in vogue at the time. The subtle ways this fed into his architecture is where the theme of this show comes from, as Le Corbusier saw architecture as the "synthesis of the arts." Now - Mar 23, 2025. PRICE: ¥1200. Read more here.
Le Corbusier "The Strange Bird and the Bull" (1957)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to comment. All comments are moderated.