Izumi Kato, Untitled, 2008 wood, acrylic paint, oil, stone
185 × 167 × 110 cm
Photo: Ikuhiro Watanabe
A Place for Contemporary Art
For the first time since the Hara Museum’s 35th anniversary in 2014 the entire museum space will be devoted to its permanent collection of paintings, sculptures, drawings and video works. Since its inception in 1979, the Hara Museum has amassed more than 1,000 artworks representing a rich cross section of artists from Japan and around the world. This show features works in a variety of mediums by such artists as Tadanori Yokoo, Izumi Kato, Christo and Jeanne-Claude and William Kentridge, as well as a rare early work by Ai Weiwei, a Chinese artist known for his social activism, and paintings by the Japanese artist and naturalized Brazilian citizen Tomie Ohtake, a leading figure in the Brazilian art world who sadly passed away the year before last.
Tadanori Yokoo, DNF: Anya Kouro City of Insomnia, 2001 acrylic on canvas 182.0 x 227.5ｃｍ
A Home, Then a Museum
The Hara Museum opened in 1979 as one of the first contemporary art museums in Japan. It was originally a private residence built in 1938 by Jin Watanabe, who also designed the main gallery of the Tokyo National Museum (then called the “Imperial Household Museum”). Tracing gentle arcs that encircle the courtyard garden are the museum’s buildings, a rare example of Western Modernist architecture in Japan. It ranks with the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Museum as a former Western-style residence built in the 1930s that was later turned into a museum. Unlike large museums, which are superb in their own way, the scale and age of these residential museums make them unique settings for the experience of art. In every exhibition, special attention is given to the dialog between the artworks and the museum space in a way that allows the visitor to enjoy both at the same time.
left: Exterior view of the Entrance Photo: Osamu Watanabe
right: Former Hara Residence in 1938
Artworks in the Nooks and Crannies
Inside the museum, living spaces such as bedrooms and living room have become galleries for an ever-changing array of art, while bathrooms, washrooms and other small spaces have been transformed into permanent installations by Yasumasa Morimura, Yoshitomo Nara, Tatsuo Miyajima, Yoshihiro Suda, Yasuhiro Suzuki and Jean-Pierre Raynaud. These cubbyhole artworks, though easy-to-overlook, are an integral part of the museum that can be enjoyed at all times during the museum’s operating hours. Outdoors, dotting the gardens are permanent installations by such artists as Lee Ufan, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Kimiyo Mishima and Adriana Varejão.
Yoshitomo Nara, My Drawing Room, 2004～ mixed media Photo: Keizo Kioku
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Art Brooms, 2012 bamboo, etc. Photo and Copyright: Hiroshi Sugimoto Studio
Events
During each exhibition, the Hara Museum holds a variety of events in its multipurpose venue The Hall and courtyard garden. Mark your calendars for the following two.
・Kuniko Kato Concert－Steve Reich and Arvo Pärt June 3 (Friday) and 4 (Saturday)
・Hitoshi Toyoda Slide Show August 13 (Saturday) and 14 (Sunday)
Guided Tours
Free Japanese-language tours are given by a museum curator every Sunday and national holiday, starting at 2:30 and lasting about 30 minutes. No reservation is required. Free mini-tours in English are also available on a periodic basis. Please enquire at the admission counter on the day of your visit.
[Exhibition Details]
Title: It’s Our Permanent Collection!
Dates: May 28 (Saturday) – August 21 (Sunday), 2016
Venue: Hara Museum of Contemporary Art (Galleries I and II)
4-7-25 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0001 Tel: 03-3445-0651
E-mail: info@haramuseum.or.jp Website: http://www.haramuseum.or.jp
Mobile site: http://mobile.haramuseum.or.jp Blog: https://www.art-it.asia/en/u/HaraMuseum_e
Twitter: http://twitter.com/haramuseum (in Japanese only / account name: @haramuseum)
Organized by: Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
Hours: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Wednesdays until 8:00 pm (except national holiday / last entry 30 minutes before closing)
Closed: Mondays (except July 18), July 19
Admission: General 1,100 yen; Students 700 yen (high school and university) or 500 yen (elementary and junior high); Free for Hara Museum members, students through high school every Saturday during the school term; 100 yen discount per person for groups of 20 or more.
Directions to the museum: 5 minutes by taxi or 15 minutes on foot from JR Shinagawa Station (Takanawa exit); or from the same station take the No.96 bus, get off at the first stop (Gotenyama), and walk 3 minutes