Rabbits by Ryoko Kamakura
In terms of the number of eyeballs on artworks Tokyo is the unchallenged art capital of the Universe. Yes, imagine it: a vast sea of eyeballs stretching miles in every direction -- that's Tokyo for you! A veritable black hole sucking in art from all over the cosmos. How do we deal with all this plenitude and infinite bounty? By being discriminating and making a few tasty picks, that's how. Here they are then TOKYO-MET's are picks for May.
JANET CARDIFF AND GEORGE BURES MILLER | SMALL WORKS
GALLERY KOYANAGI in Ginza is one of those artistic oases just behind a busy street that are quite common in Tokyo. Turn down a street or two, and there you are, getting free art that very few other people seem to know about. Also, unlike a lot of galleries, they tend to put on relatively long-running exhibitions, like this one which showcases some of the quaint mechanisms that make up Janet Cardiff and George Bures's art. The show presents 11 small, wall-mounted pieces made from various objects that play sound collages, music, or voices, blending the art of “seeing” with the art of “hearing.” Just push a button and let them happen. Now – June 14, 2025. PRICE: FREE. More info.
Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller, Suitcase Theatre, 2020/2023
THE 7 PASSIONS OF LEONARD FOUJITA
The show at the SOMPO MUSEUM OF ART is definitely worth seeing, retelling the fascinating tale of Leonard Foujita, an early 20th century artistic icon who fluctuated between Tokyo and Paris, before deciding that the latter would give the greatest expression to his offbeat individuality and transracial muses. The show is organised thematically through 7 "passions" of Foujita's art, including the women who inspired him. Reviewed HERE. Now - June 22. PRICE: 1800 yen (1200 yen for age 19 to 35. More info.
Exhibition flyer
ODILON REDON: DREAM OF LIGHT, LUMINOUS SHADOW
THE PANASONIC SHIODOME MUSEUM OF ART exists as a kind of PR wing of the giant Panasonic company, which produces a wide range of household and electrical goods. In other words it's part of their corporate image. The result of this is that almost every show I have visited there over the years is well-produced and punches well above its weight in term of quality. The latest show, focusing on the rather occult and mystical art of turn-of-the-century French artist Odilon Redon is no exception. The show, sourced from the Museum of Fine Art Gifu's collection, highlights the transition point in Redon's career when he switched from sooty charcoals to technicolour pastels. The museum's lighting team has done an excellent job in bringing out Redon's dreamlike colours, much better than we can reproduce here. Now - 23rd June. PRICE: ¥1,300. More Info.
Odilon Redon, Mystical Conversation (c. 1896), The Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu
TARO OKAMOTO AND THE TOWER OF THE SUN
Inspired by French occultism and Mexican art amongst others, Taro Okamoto was tapped to come up with a design for the Osaka Expo -- not the one now underway but the original one in 1970. Along with the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the the 1970 Osaka Expo was an important milestone on Japan's path from being one of the baddies of WWII to being everyone's favourite country. The show at the TARO OKAMOTO MUSEUM OF ART (set in the beautiful Ikuta Ryokuchi Park) focuses on the work leading up to Okamoto's iconic Tower of the Sun, which dominated the Expo. The exhibition highlights Okamoto's interests in ethnology, ritualism, and the primitive vitality, which all fed into the final design. Now - 6th July. PRICE: ¥900. More info.
Tower of the Sun at the 1970 Osaka Expo
PREVIOUSLY RECOMMENDED BUT STILL RUNNING
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 MUSEUM OF MODERN ART SAITAMA, 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. Ends 11th May, 2025. PRICE: ¥900. More info.
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. Ends 11th May 2025. PRICE: ¥2,300. More info.
The Climax (1893), Aubrey Beardsley
INOSUKE HAZAMA
Hazama (1895-1977) was a painter, ceramicist, translator, art professor, and curator, who promoted Western art, met and was inspired by Matisse, and translated and edited van Gogh’s letters. In other words, the ideal figure to provide a Japanese narrative to Western modern art who isn't Leonard Foujita (soon to be exhibited at the Sompo). Hazama also claimed Matisse as his "teacher." I am wondering how much the exhibition does to back up this impressive claim. Only one way to find out, I guess. The exhibition includes sixty works by Hazama, and fifteen works with connections to the artist from the ARTIZON's own collection of Western paintings. Now - 1st June. PRICE: ¥2,000. More Info.
Inosuke Hazama promo vid
SOPHIE TAEUBER-ARP AND JEAN ARP
One of the two shows now on at the ARTIZON MUSEUM features the work of Jean Arp, the German-French sculptor, painter and poet, and his better half, Sophie Taeuber-Arp. Jean Arp (1886-1966) started as a Dadaist (a precursor to Surrealism) but found his muse with Matisse-like graphics and fluid statuary that prefigured that of Henry Moore. The Missus, by contrast, was into textile art. The exhibition sets out to view their careers as a work of collaboration, with forty-five works by Sophie, thirty-six by Jean, and seven on which they shared the credits. Now - June 01. PRICE: ¥2,000. More info.
Left：Nic ALUF, Sophie Taeuber with Dada-Head, 1920, Stiftung Arp e. V., Berlin/Rolandswerth Right：Jean Arp with Navel-Monocle (photographer unknown) c.1926, Stiftung Arp e. V., Berlin/Rolandswerth ⓒ VG BILD-KUNST, Bonn & JASPAR, Tokyo, 2024 C4762
MACHINE LOVE: VIDEO GAMES, AI and CONTEMPORARY ART
The latest show at the "sky high" MORI ART MUSEUM ambitiously addresses the issue of how AI and tech is changing our world. Around a dozen contemporary artists have been brought in to offer their insights, with most of then opting for rather bleak computer generated video installations. There is a lot to ponder here and touches of gallows humour as we slowly start to bend the knew to our future AI overlords. Reviewed HERE. Now - June 8th. PRICE: ¥2000. More Info.
Lu Yang DOKU the Self 2022
HILFA AF KLINT: THE BEYOND
OK, this is a little outside my comfort zone, but Hilma af Klint (1862–1944) at the MUSEUM OF MODERN ART TOKYO does look kind of interesting. Spurred on by a record-breaking show at the Guggenheim in 2018, this is the first retrospective of this major Swedish artist in Asia. Inspired by the "anthroposophy" of spiritualist Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), Klint went "full abstract" before better known contemporaries, like Kandinsky and Mondrian. She also liked to paint big and the show includes her signature series "The Ten Largest" (1907), a set of ten paintings over three meters high that abstractly riff on the different ages of man.
Now - 15th June 2025. PRICE: ¥2,300. More info.
The Ten Largest (1907), Guggenheim installation view
TAPIO WIRKKALA: THE SCULPTOR OF ULTIMA THULE
Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) is considered a giant of the modern Scandinavian aesthetic that has now conquered the world (and especially Japan). His work encompassed glass, porcelain, silverware, jewellery, lighting, furniture, and graphics. With his wife, ceramic artist Rut Bryk, he was drawn to the condensed sense of nature characteristic of the frozen north, being inspired by Lapland in particular, as can be seen in masterpieces like his “Ultima Thule” series of glassware. The TOKYO STATION GALLERY presents 300 carefully selected objects, as well as photographs and drawings. Now - 15th June! PRICE: ¥1500. More info.
Chanterelle, 1946, Collection Kakkonen. © Rauno Träskelin
SPECTRUM/SPEKTRUM
Hermès is obviously making so much money from their high end fashion goods (not really sure what they sell, is it bags or shoes?) that they can afford to put on fun exhibitions in the middle of Ginza totally for free. The latest show, held at the MAISON HERMES FORUM on the 8th and 9th floor of their flagship Ginza store is a lot of fun. Featuring works and installations by a collection of disparate artists (Kentaro Kawabata, Marie Laurencin, Motoyuki Daifu, and others) the show has been well woven together and is also designed to incorporate visitors into the show with a playful camera and mirror set-up by Michiko Tsuda. Now - June 29. PRICE: FREE. More info.
Installation view
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