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Special Exhibition Gallery |
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Gallery 4 |
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Collection Gallery |
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Talks & Tours in the Museum Collection Gallery |
Schedule may be changed without notice. |
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Okamoto Taro (1911-1996) is an artist now actively reevaluated, as illustrated by his huge mural Tomorrow’s Mythology that has recently been put on public view. He said, “Today’s art must not be done skillfully, must not be comely, must not be comfortable.” His life was a series of confrontations with conventional values. This show examines the course of his confrontation through 130 works in seven chapters to explore present-day significance of his art.
Okamoto Taro, Men Aflame
(1955, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo) |
＊Closed on Mondays (except July 18, 2011)
Swiss-born painter Paul Klee (1879-1940) has many admirers also in Japan. With the keywords “atelier” and “technique,” this show illustrates how Klee produced his works, to shed light on his creative processes. Presenting 180 pieces primarily from the Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern in Switzerland, this first solo show of Klee’s works given at National Museums includes many pieces that have never been shown in Japan.
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＊Closed on Mondays (except September 19 and October 10), September 20 and October 11, 2011
In and after the 1970s, Leiko Ikemura (b. 1951) has moved from Japan to Spain, Switzerland, and Germany. Showing girls lying down, metamorphosis of animals and humans, or colorful landscapes, her works seem adorable and, at the same time, consistently express her strong will to build bridges between the East and the West. Presenting 145 pieces including paintings, ceramic sculptures and drawings, this is the first retrospective of Ikemura’s art in Japan.
Leiko Ikemura, Beach at night
(2002–2003, Mie Prefectural Art Museum) |
＊Closed on Mondays (except January 2 and 9, 2012), December 28, 2011 – January 1 and 10, 2012
The nude is still one of the standard themes for paintings. Nevertheless, it was only after a variety of disputes that the new custom of appreciating naked human bodies was introduced and eventually took hold in Japan in the Meiji period (1868-1912). Presenting 80 acknowledged masterpieces by painters including Kuroda Seiki, Yorozu Tetsugoro, Kumagai Morikazu, Murayama Kaita, Yasui Sotaro and Koide Narashige, this show explores the variety of nudities produced in the triangular struggles among painters, viewers and regulators.
Yorozu Tetsugoro, Leaning Woman
(1917, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo) |
＊Closed on Mondays (except March 19, 26, April 2 and 30, 2012)
Scattering paints on canvases laid out on the floor, Jackson Pollock (1912 – 1956) opened a new horizon in the art of painting with his unique style. He is now seen not only as a hero in American art but also as one of the most important figures in the world history of painting. This is the first retrospective of the painter in Japan aiming to present the essence of his art through 70 pieces from collections at home and abroad.
Jackson Pollock, No. 11 1949(1949, Indiana University Art Museum)
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＊Closed on Mondays (except March 21, 28, April 4 and May 2) and March 22, 2011
Muraoka Saburo,
Negative Table: Joint (Crater) (1998, The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo) |
In the figure-ground relationship, some pieces present empty figure instead of making the figure stand out against the ground. Some three-dimensional pieces attract viewers’ attention to inner hollows rather than the solid mass. These pieces may be described as “negative” form making as opposed to positive form making. This show presents such pieces including paintings, prints, photographs and sculptures to examine their uncanny fascination. |
＊Closed on Mondays (except July 18, 2011)
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Traveling long distances and the passage of long time may be the two elements that make up the essence of experiences on the road. Presenting 30 pieces including paintings, photographs and video pieces, this small show illustrates various attempts at compressing those two “lengthy” elements into artistic expression in limited forms, such as a rectangular picture surface or a certain amount of time within a video. |
＊Closed on Mondays (except September 19 and October 10), September 20 and October 11, 2011
Leo Rubinfien, At Taksim Square, Istanbul from “Wounded Cities” (2004),
Courtesy of the Artist |
Having experienced the 9.11 terrorist attacks in 2001 at his home near the World Trade Center, photographer Leo Rubinfien (b. 1953) visited cities around the world that were attacked by terrorists, and photographed faces of people out in the street for six years. This show looks for messages for us living in the same age among the psychological nuances surfacing on his photographs. |
＊Closed on Mondays (except January 2 and 9, 2012), December 28, 2011–January 1 and 10, 2012
Valerio Olgiati exhibition
at Academy of Architecture of Mendrisio, Switzerland, 2009 PHOTO: Enrico Cano |
Elegantly combining daring forms and simple plans, Valerio Olgiati (b. 1958) is now attracting attention not only in Switzerland, his homeland, but also of architects around the world. This show illustrates his view of the world with the nine beautiful 1:33 models shown also at the Architecture Biennale 2010 in Venice, as well as Iconographic Autobiography suggesting Japanese influence. |
＊Closed on Mondays (except March 19, 26, April 2 and 30, 2012)
Hara Hiromu, Bauhaus (1970)
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Hara Hiromu (1903-1986) designed many posters, tickets and catalogue covers for exhibitions held by the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo for twenty years from its opening in 1952 until 1972. As many as about 150 posters for our exhibitions were designed by Hara. Presenting 150 pieces, this show focuses on Hara’s work with the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo to consider the relationship between designers and art museums. |
The display at the collection gallery aims to provide a historical overview on modern Japanese art from the beginning of the 20th century to today. It presents 200 pieces selected from our museum collection of more than 10,000 works. Many of the exhibits are changed four to five times a year.
Exhibition periods with "Topic in Focus" (fourth floor) and "Let's Browse with Topical Focus"(fourth to second floors)
February 22-May 8, 2011
Grass and Earth for the Artists at Sodosha —Topic in Focus
Fascination of Matière —Let's Browse With Topical Focus
＊Closed on Mondays (except March 21, 28, April 4 and May 2) and March 22, 2011
May 17-July 31, 2011
Thinking About Tohoku—Topic in Focus
FocusEbihara Kinosuke —Topic in Focus
＊Closed on Mondays (except July 18, 2011)
August 6-Octorber 23, 2011
Kambara Tai —Topic in Focus
Marvelous Scenes —Let's Browse With Topical Focus
＊Closed on Mondays (except September 19 and October 10),September 20 and October 11, 2011
October 29, 2011-January 15, 2012
Gravity And Female Figures —Topic in Focus
＊Closed on Mondays (except January 2 and 9, 2012),December 28, 2011–January 1 and 10, 2012
January 24-May 6, 2012
Dahlias in Art —Topic in Focus
＊Closed on Mondays (except March 19, 26, April 2 and 30, 2012)
Nakamura Tsune, Portrait of Vasilii Yaroshenko (1920),
Important Cultural Property
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Takamura Kotaro, Hand (c. 1918)
PHOTO: Sakamoto Photo Research Laboratory |
Wassily Kandinsky, The Whole (1940)
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＊The above three works are not always shown at the gallery.
＊Closed on Mondays (except March 21, 28, April 4 and May 2) and March 22, 2011