Month: October 2023

Tokyo National Museum

“Yamato-e” was established in the early Heian period and has been handed down through various changes.

The special exhibition “Yamato-e – The beauty of dynasties passed down through generations” to be held at the Tokyo National Museum traces the lineage of Yamato-e, which has always been innovative.

This article reports on the press preview held the day before the event.

What is Yamato-e?

The special exhibition “Yamato-e – The beauty of the dynasty passed down through generations” focuses on “Yamato-e,” which have been painted continuously since the Heian period.
However, what is interesting is that the concept of “Yamato-e” has changed greatly over time.

From the Heian period to the Kamakura period, works depicting Japanese landscapes and people were called “Yamato-e,” in contrast to “Kara-e,” which depicted Chinese themes, but after that, new Chinese paintings such as ink painting While paintings based on a style were called “Chinese paintings,” works based on the traditional style of previous generations were called “Yamato-e.”
In other words, “Yamato-e” has always existed as a counter-concept to paintings of foreign origin.

This exhibition introduces a carefully selected selection of “Yamato-e” paintings, which inherited the essence of dynastic beauty while constantly changing their form, especially from the Heian period to the Muromachi period.

Full of “actual textbooks” on Japanese art!

This exhibition consists of 6 chapters.

Prologue: Tradition and Innovation—Changes in Yamato-e painting—
Chapter 1: The establishment of Yamato-e—Heian period—
Chapter 2 New aspects of Yamato-e—Kamakura period—
Chapter 3: Maturation of Yamato-e—Nanbokucho and Muromachi periods—
Chapter 4 Genealogy of Imperial Court Paintings
Final chapter Yamato-e and the four seasons—The beauty of the dynasty inherited from generation to generation—

Through the works, you can experience the changes in Yamato-e, which has developed independently through repeated negotiations with the ideas and techniques of foreign art such as Kara-e and Chinese-style paintings, as well as the characteristics of each era.

This is the royal road to Japanese art! It is truly a sight to see textbook-like works, works that are familiar from art collections, etc. all coming together in one place.
More than 70% of the approximately 245 items in total are national treasures and important cultural properties, and the exhibition exhibits not only paintings but also many works from the same period that supported the aesthetic sense of Yamato-e, such as calligraphy and craft works.

Among them, one of the works that is considered to be “highly recommended for this exhibition” is the Important Cultural Property “Hamamatsu Folding Screen” (owned by the Tokyo National Museum), which is renowned as one of the finest Yamato paintings from the Muromachi period.

This is a masterpiece that gives a very lively impression, with many flowers, trees, plants, and birds superimposed on a dazzling beach landscape, representing the changing seasons from right to left. It is said to be the “ultimate Yamato-e” that brings together various elements of ancient and medieval Yamato-e.

If you actually look at it up close, the entire painting appears to be emitting a dull glow, but this is apparently due to a technique unique to Yamato-e from the Muromachi period, in which mica (a layered silicate mineral) is swept over the base. is. It shines like the twilight of a moonlit night, unlike the later Azuchi-Momoyama period, which emphasized gold. Somehow, you can feel a part of the Japanese’s profound sense of beauty.

The best masterpieces in the history of Japanese emaki, the “Four Great Emaki” are gathered together.

Furthermore, among the many picture scrolls, the “Four Great Picture Scrolls”, which were produced at the end of the Heian period, are famous as the greatest masterpieces.
This exhibition will feature The Tale of Genji Emaki, the oldest and greatest dynastic tale emaki in existence, as well as Shigisan Engi Emaki, Ban Dainagon Emaki , and the famous Choju-giga (all national treasures). We will all meet.

This is one of the four great picture scrolls, a national treasure called Choju-giga (Kyoto, Kozanji temple collection). I have a strong memory of the extremely crowded Choju-Giga Exhibition held at the Tokyo National Museum in 2015, and this work has been loved by many people for its humorous and cute nature.
The changing of the four seasons, monthly events, flowers, birds, landscapes, and various stories…Yamato-e have depicted all kinds of themes, but the dynamic animals depicted in this Choju-giga are one of them. Among them, it stands out.

This exhibition has four exhibition periods (① October 11th (Wednesday) – October 22nd (Sunday) ➁ October 24th (Tuesday) – November 5th (Sunday) ③ November 7th (Tuesday) – 19th (Sunday) ④ November 21st (Tuesday) – The exhibition will be changed according to December 3rd (Sunday), but the four major picture scrolls will be gathered together for the first time in 30 years from October 11th to 22nd.
In addition to this period, the three major decorative sutras (Kunōji sutra, Heikeno sutra, Jikoji sutra) and the three statues of Jingoji temple, which are known as masterpieces of Yamato-e portraits (Den Yoritomo statue, Den Taira Shigemori statue, and Den Fujiwara no Kōyō statue) There are many notable works, including ancient and medieval masterpieces such as (all national treasures) appearing one after another.

Takahiro Tsuchiya, head of the Painting and Sculpture Department at the Tokyo National Museum’s Curatorial Research Department, who was in charge of this exhibition, said, “This is an exhibition with so many works that an exhibition could be completed even if there were less than half the number of works. I think you’ll be able to see more works as the exhibits change.I hope you’ll visit the venue again and again.”
was said to the audience.

The world of “Yamato-e” has been passed down and changed over the course of more than a thousand years.
Please feel free to visit the venue and take a look.

*For the exhibition period of each work, please see the “Exhibition Catalog” on the official website .

Event overview

*The contents of the article are as of the time of interview. Please check the official exhibition website for details as the information may differ from the latest information. Additionally, the works featured in this article may have already been exhibited.

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Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

The “Eternal City of Rome” exhibition, which introduces the history of Rome’s beauty from the founding of the country to modern times, has opened at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art, focusing on the collection of the Capitoline Museums in the center of Rome. The exhibition period is from Saturday, September 16, 2023 to Sunday, December 10, 2023.

I visited the venue and will report on the exhibition.

Capitoline Museums celebrates the history of Rome’s glory and beauty

Capitoline Hill has long been the religious, political, and cultural center of the Romans, with temples dedicated to the supreme god Jupiter and other gods rising there in ancient times, and today the Capitoline Hill is where Rome’s City Hall is located. The Capitoline Museums, built on a hill there, are among the oldest museums in the world.

In 1471, Pope Sixtus IV during the Renaissance donated four ancient sculptures to the citizens of Rome, with the purpose of inspiring their self-respect and demonstrating that he was the legitimate heir of ancient Rome, on the Capitoline Hill. The museum was established as a result of the establishment of the museum. It opened to the public in 1734 and has amassed a rich collection of ancient relics excavated in Rome, sculptures originating from the Vatican, and works of art owned by prominent Roman families.

This exhibition focuses on items from the collection of the Capitoline Museums, and covers everything from the founding myths of the nation, to the glory of the ancient Roman era, to the Renaissance and Baroque, when art reached its peak, and from the 17th century onward, when it became a place of aspiration for artists. This exhibition introduces the magnificent history and art of Rome, known as the “Eternal City,” through approximately 70 sculptures, paintings, and prints.

In addition to the five chronological chapters, there is also a special exhibit introducing the exchange between the museum and Japan, marking the 150th anniversary of the Iwakura Mission’s visit to the museum.

The first chapter, “The Creation of the Myth of the Founding of Rome,” unravels the folklore and myths of ancient Rome, which is said to have been founded in 753 BC.The starting point is the famous work “The Capitoline She-Wolf (Reproduction),” which can be said to be the symbol of Rome. It was placed there.

The original work is one of the four ancient sculptures that started the Capitoline Museums. It is said to have been created in the 5th century BC. (The exhibited work is a later reproduction owned by the City Hall of Rome)

This story is based on the story of the she-wolf who raised Romulus, the first king of Rome, who was born to Mars, the god of war, and the priestess Rhea Sylvia, and his younger brother Remus, which is an episode of the epic poem “Aeneid” by the poet Virgil, which is based on the myth of the founding of Rome. .

Originally it only had a female wolf, but during the Renaissance, a statue of twins drinking milk was added. The she-wolf’s wide-open eyes and fur are expressed in a stylistic yet delicate manner.

The statue of a she-wolf nursing twins is enshrined in the city of Rome, and as it continues to move forward with the history of the empire as the embodiment of the founding myth, it has become public art such as public monuments and coins, poetic jewelry, and festival art. It has influenced the iconographic expression of various media. “The Capitoline She-Wolf” is the surviving work that can be considered an icon, except for the twin statues added in later generations.

Indicating its enormous influence as a symbol, there are many other works in Chapter 1 that depict the she-wolf, such as the Silver Drachma and the Mirror of Bolsena (4th century BC). .

During the imperial period from 27 BC onwards, portraits developed along with the prosperity of the empire. The portraits of Roman emperors, with their dignified expressions and realism, not only functioned as a means of propaganda, but also influenced the private portraits of ordinary citizens, and are said to have popularized various fashionable outfits, poses, and hairstyles. Masu.

Chapter 2, “The Glory of the Ancient Roman Empire ,” traces the glorious era through the “faces of the times,” including the head carvings of Julius Caesar and Augustus, who laid the foundations of the ancient Roman Empire. It communicates social and political changes.

Here, fragments of the two Colossi of Constantine owned by the Capitoline Museums were displayed in elaborate full-size reproductions, making it very impressive. The Colossus of Constantine is another ancient sculpture donated by Pope Sixtus IV to the citizens of Rome.

Constantine (r. 306-337) was one of the most important emperors of the Roman Empire. He is known as the first Roman emperor to reunite the divided empire, recognize Christianity as the state religion, and become a believer himself.

The head alone is approximately 1.8 meters tall. Its scale is reminiscent of its former glory. It is believed that the sunken cheeks, stern tear bags under the eyes, and wrinkles around the mouth are a depiction of the emperor in his later years. Even though she has a dignified expression, the eyes that look slightly upwards as if looking into the distance are impressive. It has a detached atmosphere that seems to reflect the high ideals that people at the time had for the emperor.

In addition to the head, the left foot, left hand, and the index finger of the left hand, which was recently discovered at the Louvre Museum, were also exhibited, along with a new reproduction made specifically for this exhibition.

Don’t miss out on the hidden gem “Venus of the Capitoline”!

Additionally, Venus of the Capitoline, displayed in Chapter 2, is the most notable work of this exhibition.

This 2nd century work is based on a statue of Aphrodite (the Greek goddess of love, identified with Venus) created in the 4th century BC by the great ancient Greek sculptor Praxiteles.

She takes the typical shy pose of Venus statues, and the expression of her graceful body curves and plump skin texture is extremely beautiful and attractive. If you look closely, you can see that her hair is tied into a bow at the top of her head, tied into a chignon at the nape of her neck, and then her hair is let down in two, which is a bit of an interesting hairstyle.

This work is known as a masterpiece of ancient Venus statues, along with Venus de Milo (Louvre Museum) and Venus de Medici (Uffizi Gallery). In fact, this is the third time it has been taken outside the Capitoline Museums since it was acquired in 1752, including the time when it was temporarily confiscated by the French army led by Napoleon, so it can truly be said to be a treasure that should never be left out. .

This is a must-see work that I don’t know if I will have the chance to see again in Japan in the future.

For the exhibition, we have prepared a special space inspired by the octagonal exhibition room called “Venus Room” at the Capitoline Museums, where the work is usually displayed. Similarly, the floor was created in the pattern of Piazza del Campidoglio, designed by Renaissance master Michelangelo, where the museum is located.

For more information about Michelangelo’s urban planning, which began in 1537, and the development of the iconic museum complex with a plaza and buildings that embody the splendor of the city of Rome, see Chapter 3, “From the Birth of Museums to Michelangelo’s Piazza” The concept is introduced in detail through paintings and prints.

In Chapter 4, “Picture Gallery Collection,” Pope Benedict Displaying 13 works from the art gallery’s collection.

The collection includes masterpieces by painters who were active from the 16th to the 18th century, ranging from Italian Baroque master Pietro da Cortona to works by unknown authors. It tells us about the themes and expressions that were mainstream in Italy at the time, as well as the paintings that captured the interest of art patrons.

Since the 17th century, the city of Rome, a treasure trove of ancient ruins and ecclesiastical architecture, has become a source of artistic inspiration for artists in Italy and abroad, including through the Grand Tour.

Chapter 5, “A yearning for Rome, the capital of art – the interplay between fantasy and reality”, features a monument commemorating Emperor Trajan’s victory in the Dacian War, which is said to have particularly fascinated artists and European monarchs. Prints and models of the 30-meter ancient monument “Trajan’s Column” are on display. We also feature works created using ancient Roman art as a source of inspiration.

Meissen’s unglazed pottery “Amor and Psyche” is a small work, about 30 cm in length, but the intertwined bodies, especially the arrangement of the arms reminiscent of a circle, gently holding each other’s heads, seem to symbolize eternal love. , I was fascinated by its luscious curves for a while.

The work is a reproduction of the famous 2nd century marble sculpture “Amor and Psyche” housed in the Capitoline Museums. In the 18th century, as the number of ancient art enthusiasts increased, a new industry for producing miniature versions of famous ancient sculptures and a market for buying and selling them grew, and it is said that many copies of these works were on the market.

On the last floor, there is a corner with a special exhibition, “The Capitoline Museums and Japan.”

Exactly 150 years ago, in 1873, the Iwakura Mission sent by the Meiji government to Europe and America visited the Capitoline Museums. Their experiences visiting museums in Europe and the United States influenced the Meiji government’s museum policy and art education.

The exhibition will feature illustrations from the visit report “Records of the Circulation of the United States and Europe”, which was created based on picture postcards that the members of the mission likely obtained locally, as well as illustrations of the feelings Japanese people had towards Europe in the early 19th century. We are introducing imaginary drawings that convey an exotic image, such as the Aranda French Kano Garan Drawing .

Furthermore, when Kogakuryo Bijutsu Gakko (later Kobu Bijutsu Gakko) was established as Japan’s first art education institution in 1876, Italian teachers invited to teach Western art used famous sculptures as teaching materials. I brought in plaster statues to use as models, including one from the Capitoline Museums.

As evidence of its history, students are thought to have copied the Head of Dionysus, which was created in the 2nd century and is in the Capitoline Museums, and a plaster statue that was based on the same work and was brought to Japan. “Half of the body of European lady Arianne” are displayed side by side. It symbolizes the timeless connection between the Capitoline and Japan.

The Eternal City of Rome Exhibition lets you immerse yourself in the history of the magnificent beauty of Rome, a city that has captivated artists from all over the world. Please come and visit us.

Overview of “Eternal City Rome Exhibition”

*The contents of the article are as of the time of reporting. Please check the official website for the latest information.

Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno

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Tokyo National Museum

The “Yokoo Tadanori Kanzan Hyakutoku” exhibition is being held at the Tokyo National Museum Hyokeikan in Ueno, Tokyo from September 12, 2023. (Duration is until December 3rd)

We are exhibiting for the first time 102 new works from the “Kanzan Shutoku” series, in which contemporary artist Tadanori Yokoo reconstructs the traditional painting theme of the wind-crazed monk in China with his own interpretation.

*About the images of the works… Unless otherwise specified, all works are by Tadanori Yokoo and are in the artist’s collection.

Kanzan Jitoku, who became a target of admiration for his escapist behavior.

Kanzan and Jitoku are two legendary poet-monks who are said to have lived during the Tang Dynasty in China.

Despite being a highly educated man of literature, he is known to be a free and eccentric being, living in a cave, filling his stomach with leftover food, and making outrageous statements. In Chinese Zen Buddhism, their secular appearance and behavior were hailed as a state of enlightenment, and Kanzan came to be considered sacred as the incarnation of Manjusri Bodhisattva, and Chitoku as the incarnation of Fugen Bodhisattva.
In China and Japan since the Kamakura period, Kanzan Joutoku has been depicted as a traditional painting theme by many Zen monks and literary figures, and in modern times it has been featured with admiration in the novels of Mori Ogai and Natsume Soseki.

It was in 2019 that Tadanori Yokoo (1936-), one of Japan’s leading contemporary artists, first exhibited a work based on the theme of Kanzan Jhotoku. It was inspired by the masterpiece “Kanzan Jitokuzu” by Soga Shohaku, a fantastical painter of the Edo period.

Since then, he has been intensively creating the “Kanzan Joutoku” series, changing its shapes in a variety of ways. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he avoided contact with the outside world and devoted himself to creative activities in his atelier, isolated from the world, much like a Kanzan-Jitoku retreat.

The 102 works in the “Kanzan Jhotoku” series on display are all new, previously unpublished works created specifically for this exhibition.

The production period is approximately one year starting from September 2021. As Yokoo himself said at the press conference for this exhibition, “I decided to quit being an artist and become an athlete.” With a powerful and challenging spirit that belies his age, he sometimes works three times a day. It was created at an astonishing speed, sometimes even drawing out the dots.

Beyond time and space, from image to image

Kanzan Joutoku is said to be a poet monk, and the traditional representation is that Kanzan is depicted holding a scroll with Chinese poems written on it, and Joutoku is shown holding a broom for sweeping the temple garden, but Mr. Yokoo used his own interpretation to use the scroll as toilet paper and the broom. It is humorous with modern updates such as having the user switch to a vacuum cleaner. Furthermore, the two are sitting on a toilet bowl reminiscent of Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain, perhaps an association with toilet paper.

As I walked around the venue, I noticed that the titles of each work were unified only with the date of production, and there were no explanatory captions.

Masato Matsushima, head of the Research Division at the Tokyo National Museum’s Curatorial Research Department, says that these exhibitions reflect Yokoo’s wishes.

“Mr. Yokoo himself said that he had no intention of putting a message or trying to convey something in each of his works. I have placed on canvas what has arisen from my body.I would like people to view it while freely imagining and interpreting it.”

In many cases, a particular motif forms a series of phases, such as “red cloth.”

“2022-03-24” depicts Kanzan Chitoku and a woman relaxing on a red mattress, which is clearly a parody of 19th century French painter Edouard Manet’s famous painting “Luncheon on the Grass.” There is a similar composition entitled “2022-05-01”, which looks exactly like “Noryo Screen” by the Edo period painter Morikage Kusumi, which is a national treasure in the museum’s collection.

In 2022-05-05, which was created a few days later, he is happily flying through the sky on a red magic carpet like in the Arabian Nights. And when I looked at 《2022-05-28》, it was like the world of Harry Potter. Perhaps each of them wanted to fly on their own, so they switched from the red carpet to the broom.

In this way, Mr. Yokoo’s Kanzan Chitoku statues are associated with images one after another, transforming like a hundred faces.

He appears to be dressed up as Arsène Lupin or Don Quixote, but his body also transforms into a gigantic mountain-like body that looks like an ink landscape painting, or an inorganic, geometric form reminiscent of an AI or robot. Jitoku Kanzan does whatever he wants, such as dressing up as a woman, merging into one, and blending into the scenery so much that you can no longer tell where he is.

In addition, as in the traditional painting theme “Four Sleeping Pictures”, he is not only accompanied by Jitoroku Kanzan, but also his two masters, Bukan Zenji and Tora, as well as Einstein, Edgar Allan Poe, Shohei Otani shows his face. There are also glimpses of works that reflect social conditions such as the Tokyo Olympics and the Soccer World Cup…

There was a story of Kanzan Jitoku that was free to move around, regardless of time, place, size, reality or fiction.

The diversity of these works, as if the artist’s multifaceted nature was brought out in the form of Jitoku Kanzan, is due to what Yokoo himself describes as his “physical brain.”

This work was born as a result of letting my body move freely, without being bound by style or commitment. The artist’s physical manifestations from time to time, such as the change in menstruation between yesterday and today, or the things that came into view that day, felt somewhat like a diary.

Opening up new frontiers of freedom with the “sluggish body” acquired from physical inconvenience

Many of his drawings are drawn with a soft and gentle touch, and Yokoo calls this style of drawing “oburotai.”

Oborotai originally refers to a Japanese painting technique established during the Meiji period, but for Mr. Yokoo, Oborotai means that his vision and even the inside of his head are unclear due to the effects of hearing loss that he developed in 2015. Even the boundaries between things and the distinction between dreams and reality have become blurred. Tendonitis made it difficult to draw clear, strong lines. It was acquired through these physical changes.

The outlines that have become vague through repeated brushstrokes sometimes neutralize the walls of time and space, sometimes going beyond the artist’s intentions and leaving the constraints of the past and technology, giving an impression of openness that melts the heart of the viewer. I’ll give it to you.

Most of the works are painted on large canvases of size F100 or F150, making them impressive, and since there are no covers such as acrylic cases, it is possible to appreciate the brushstrokes and layering of colors up close.
The screen was bright, and many warm primary colors such as red and yellow were used, which gave me a sense of peace and energy, as if some weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

It is said that it is rare in the history of the museum to hold an exhibition by a living artist. Why not experience the free world of Tadanori Yokoo, who broke new ground in his 80s at this exhibition, which has a special place in the museum?

In addition, as a related project to this exhibition, the special room 1 of the main building of the Tokyo National Museum will feature a special feature titled “The Tokyo National Museum’s Cold Mountains: A Longing for the Legendary Wind-Crazy Monk” from September 12, 2023 (Tuesday) to November 5, 2023. Ongoing until Sunday .

*Can be viewed with a ticket to this exhibition. Please check the official website for details as there are exhibition changes between the first and second periods.

Including the National Treasure Indara’s “Kanzan Joutoku-zu (Fragmented Zen Machine Drawing)”, the museum’s collection of classic “Kanzan Joutoku-zu” is collected and introduced in one place. It might be interesting to follow the evolution of Kanzan Jhotoku-zu and compare it with Yokoo’s latest works.

“Tadanori Yokoo Kanzan Hyakutoku” Exhibition

*The content of the article is as of the date of coverage. Please check the official website for the latest information.

Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno

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Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum

The first retrospective exhibition of Tamana Araki, a New York-based artist who continues to engage in a wide range of expressive activities from prints to installations, will be held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno, Tokyo. It is being held at The exhibition period is until October 9, 2023.

Tamana Araki (1970-) studied abroad in Mexico after graduating from Musashino Art University Junior College in 1991, and was fascinated by the unique culture where “brightness and darkness'' and “life and death'' coexist. Masu. Since then, he has repeatedly stayed in Mexico, creating works with a unique world view through a variety of expressions, including copperplate prints, which he learned techniques for locally, three-dimensional works, installations, and animations.

In 2012, she moved her base of activities to New York and took a new step by consciously living as an immigrant.In recent years, she has been interested in themes such as “crossing borders,'' “diversity,'' and “inclusion .''

This exhibition is Araki's first retrospective exhibition. Approximately 120 pieces of variety, from early works to new works, from palm-sized three-dimensional works to large-scale installations that take up an entire floor, “There of Memories'' (2023/to be shown for the first time at this exhibition), inspired by “ Ueno's memories.'' A rich collection of works is being developed.

The exhibition consists of four chapters. The charm of Araki's work is the motifs and expressions that evoke the lives and stories of people, giving a sense of intimacy and nostalgia, and at the same time creating a boundary between the everyday and the extraordinary that makes your heart feel transported somewhere. The viewer is invited on a mysterious journey through the world.

Chapter 1, "The 'Beginning, Beginning!' of Travel," introduces relatively early works, including those with travel motifs and those inspired by the experience of staying in Mexico. I am introducing this as a starting point.

At the entrance, there is a piece called Untitled (1995) that is made up of a music box, and viewers can turn the screw themselves. Regarding this work, Araki commented in a gallery talk, “While one song is playing, I created it with the idea of going on an imaginary journey while listening to it.'' The many empty picture frames foreshadow wonderful encounters on the journey that are about to begin.

The exhibition begins like a curtain opening in “Beginning, Beginning'' (2003), and a story begins. “Day'' and “Night'' (1999) were made with the idea that “It would be great if there was a portable work that could be placed next to the bed in the room I stayed in while traveling, or on a small table by the train window.'' A unique foldable three-dimensional work created by. All are made using the copperplate engraving technique.

La calavera amarilla (Yellow Skeleton) (2005), which uses skeletons as a motif, and Una marcha de los esqueletos (March of the Skeletons) (2004), which use colorful decorations and illuminations to welcome the dead cheerfully, You can feel the influence of Mexico's unique view of life and death, as exemplified by the “Sun''.

“Caos poetico” (2005) is a fantastical scene sprinkled with warm light reminiscent of a lantern. This design was inspired by the strong lifestyle of poor people in Mexico, who used to draw electric wires from telephone poles without permission and use them to light their houses and food stalls, and how the streets decorated with these lights were so beautiful that they looked like a starry sky. This is an installation that was inspired by the concept.

Numerous power cords hang from the ceiling, and at the end of them are attached small boxes that look like houses. Not only the color of the light but also the pattern of each small box is different, and various items are used, such as a box of tea that Araki drank in Mexico, a bus ticket, and a flyer for Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling).

The image of the chaotic state comes from the “strength of living in chaos'' that Araki felt from the houses painted with colorful paint and the people of Mexico City living there. Is not it.

Please note that this work is a participatory work. Following the guidance of the exhibition facilitators (volunteers who support the viewing, nicknamed Kee-jin), viewers were able to connect small boxes to any socket of their choice and make them part of the cityscape.

In Chapter 2, “Darkness Lurking in Soft Light,” two installations are arranged symmetrically to express light and darkness, respectively.

In Uchi (1999), which Araki created with the image of the housing complex where he lived as a child, about 100 boxes made of white plywood were set up against a white wall to resemble the houses in the housing complex. thing.

Each box is randomly numbered, and viewers receive a key from the facilitator and open the door of the box that matches the number. Then, light spilled out from inside, and we began to see the warm lives of each family depicted in the prints, which was hard to imagine from the uniform exterior.

On the other side of the wall of “Home'', “Invisible'' (2011) has a strong presence as a black and ominous object spreads out from above, as if filling out the everyday world of small happiness in the same work. .

This work was created after the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, and visually captures the feelings of anxiety and disgust felt at the time due to the nuclear power plant accident, in which invisible dangerous substances called radioactive materials might come flying. What I tried to make. The black objects are said to have been made by dyeing black orchid fibers purchased in large quantities in Mexico, rolling them into dumplings, and pasting them together.

Chapter 3, “The world of stories, butterflies that cross borders,'' fully introduces Araki's “world of stories,'' which is cute yet somehow unsettling, and full of the poetic nature of Araki.

Most of the people Araki draws are just silhouettes, and their expressions cannot be seen. He is alone in the vast world, sometimes facing something frightening. Do you see loneliness, freedom, or a longing for something? As my own self mysteriously overlapped with my own, my memories were shaken, and before I knew it, my mind seemed to be absorbed into the world of the work.

NeNe Sol – The Youngest Sun – is a picture book based on the Mayan myth of the creation of the sun that is still passed down in the Chiabas region of Mexico, and was co-produced by Mr. Araki and Leñateros Kobo, a printmaking studio whose members are mainly indigenous Mayan people. thing. A prototype version and the original illustrations are on display at the venue. The unique binding, which looks like a stone carving, was created by a Mexican sculptor.

In 2022, Araki will hold a workshop called “I Hear Folk Tales'' at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum with children who have roots in various countries. The children experienced making tents and picture books in the shape of butterflies using paper pulp, and they also introduced folk tales from the countries where they have roots. The tent that was actually made at that time is on display at the venue.

Mr. Araki is interested in the Monarch butterfly that he encountered in Mexico, which migrates from country to country like a migratory bird to overwinter. This work was apparently inspired by the image of a Monarch butterfly resting its wings on the ground.

This work is based on Araki, who lived in the United States as an immigrant during the Trump administration, and his thoughts on refugees who are blocked by walls and unable to cross borders, and the monarch butterfly, which can move freely around the world regardless of borders. It is superimposed on.

Additionally, since tents are meant for people to temporarily stay or take shelter, Araki revealed that this work has the meaning of “a place where people can hide with peace of mind.''

In Chapter 4, “An Adventure Around the Bottom of Ueno,'' we use the entire space of the exhibition room on the third basement floor, which can be called “there'' ( the bottom) of the museum, with a ceiling height of 10 meters, to create ideas for “Memories of Ueno.'' The large-scale installation I obtained , “Beyond Memories'' (2023), will be the last part of this exhibition's journey.

During my research, I learned that it became the stage for many historical events, such as the birth of Japan's first parks, museums, and zoos, the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Great Tokyo Air Raid, and the emergence of the black market after the war, and attracted people from various countries and regions. Mr. Araki was attracted to the chaos of Ueno, a place he had adopted.

Around the huge object resembling a black birdcage in the center, fragmentary images of Ueno's past and present are shown, including photographs of Ueno taken by Araki himself and ukiyo-e prints depicting Ueno. , a pair of mirrors symbolizing “eyes'' suspended from the ceiling play the role of bringing to light the image of Ueno that was buried “down there'' (at the bottom).

The object is “a cage-like, hollow basket that swallows up and spits out the past, the future, the beautiful, and the trivial.''The upper part of the object looks like it's being grasped by a large hand. Some of the columns are curved, as if they were forced out from within or pried open from the outside.

Regarding this shape, Araki says, “Bird cages and cages seem to protect the birds, but they also confine them so that they can't fly away freely, and the shape emerges from these dual aspects.'' ” he explained.

Regarding this exhibition, Mr. Araki says, “I would like many children and young people to see it.I hope that they can go underground and have a somewhat mysterious experience, and enjoy it as if they were traveling.'' The journey from the ground to "there" in Ueno also aroused my longing for another journey.

An exhibition that brings to mind the common themes that modern society has across countries and regions, such as crossing borders, diversity, and inclusion, which Araki is interested in. ' will be held until October 9, 2023.

Ueno's "Beginning, Beginning" Tamana Araki Exhibition

*The contents of the article are as of the time of reporting. Please check the official website for the latest information.

Article provided by: Kokosil Ueno

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