Hara Museum ARC (Gunma)
Contemporary Art Galleries A・B・C
Selections from the Hara Museum Collection—showcasing recent acquisitions
March 20 (Sat.) – May 30 (Sun.), 2010
Kankai Pavilion
Celadon Vase (National Treasure) from the Hara Rokuro Collection
Part I= March 20 (Sat.) – April 20 (Tues.), 2010 / Part II= April 24 (Sat.) – May 30 (Sun.), 2010
Featured in this exhibition are some of the newest acquisitions to the Hara Museum. Making its public debut at ARC are The Hallway by Miranda July and Train in Vain by Jim Lambie.
July’s The Hallway, which garnered much attention at the Yokohama Triennale 2008, consists of numerous panels installed within a long corridor just wide enough for a person to pass through. The panels, each bearing a message, are positioned so that they block the visitor’s line (in Japanese and English) of sight. This ingenious work makes “walking” and “reading” the act of “experiencing the artwork,” or in this case, the act of “thinking about life.”
Another feature of the show is a large-scale installation by Jim Lambie, who held a highly acclaimed solo exhibition at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo (2008-2009). Lambie makes artworks out of everyday objects such as chairs and handbags, some of which he found in secondhand stores. Though the “ready-made” or “assemblage” techniques applied in this work are already used by many artists, Lambie uses his delightful imagination to alter familiar everyday items in a bold and sensitive way to transform them into wonderful, non-everyday works of art.
Jim Lambie, Train in Vain, 2008
Featured in the Kankai Pavilion are works from the Hara Rokuro Collection.
Celadon vase with long neck on globular body (National Treasure), is referred to among Japanese tea aficionados as the “Turnip,” a name which expresses the rich fullness of its round body. The vase is believed to have arrived in Japan at an early date, but details regarding its import and subsequent history are not clear. Of the three Chinese celadon vases designated by the Japanese government as National Treasures, Celadon vase with long neck on globular body is considered the finest example. The beautiful pale blue glaze is delightfully matched by the smooth surface and soft roundness, giving it a harmonious beauty.
Celadon vase with long neck on globular body (National Treasure), Southern Song dynasty, 12th – 13th century
Also on view are Tiger in a bamboo grove by Kano Eitoku, Landscape of Yodo River by Maruyama Okyo and other superb works.
The long scroll painting (Landscape of Yodo River) by Okyo is a representative masterpiece from the Hara Rokuro Collection that stretches some 16 meters. It depicts the flowing water of the Yodo River from Fushimi in Kyoto to Tenmabashi in Osaka. The artist depicted both banks of the river using a unique aerial perspective, and a moving point of view as well.
Maruyama Okyo, Landscape of Yodo River(detail), Edo period, 1765
By the way, there will be an opening ceremony of a permanent installation by a Korean artist Lee Bul on March 20 (Sat.). This is one of the outdoor installations the museum has installed since the renovation and expansion project held in 2008. The title of the work is A Fragmentary Anatomy of Every Setting Sun. Details of the work and opening reception will be reported in the next issue!