PERMANENT Collection 2nd term 2018　

This year, the urban-type Takamatsu Art Museum, located in the center of the city of Takamatsu, celebrates the 30th anniversary of its opening, in August 1988. Over the years, it has held numerous exhibitions of its collection assembled with special emphasis on three categories: Japanese modern art after World War II, world art since the beginning of the 20th century, and art in Kagawa Prefecture.

In addition, the museum has held 181 special exhibitions. This year, to commemorate its 30th anniversary, it takes a look back over those special exhibitions. For example, in 1988, it held a retrospective introducing the work of Chuta Kimura, an artist who was especially highly regarded mainly in France. Then, in 2017, about 30 years later, to commemorate a new collection donated to the museum by Mrs. Kimura, it presented an exhibition entitled “The Collection of the Takamatsu Art Museum + In Spilling Light with Chuta Kimura.” In 2016, to mark the completion of a year-long renovation project, the museum held “Kenji Yanobe Cinematizes (2016),” the first large-scale exhibit on the island of Shikoku by the contemporary artist Kenji Yanobe. For the occasion, an unusual installation was employed to convert the entire exhibition hall into a motion picture set.

The exhibition commemorating the 30th anniversary of the museum’s opening displays 181 special exhibition fliers plus a series of drawings entitled “Wildflower Seeds” by Ryoko Aoki and especially displayed by the artist herself. This is an excellent opportunity to enjoy 20 works by 17 artists constituting the nucleus of the museum’s collection and the history of special exhibitions.

From the 1920s, under the influence of the European craft movement, metal workers, who had formerly been regarded as artisans only, came to pride themselves on the decorative-art element of their work. It became increasingly frequent to attach aesthetic elements to metal work, once a field for competition in traditional technical skills. In connection with this trend, such crafts groups as Mukei and Kojinsha were formed; and it became increasingly common for metal workers to go beyond traditional techniques and designs to produce free styles. Senroku Kitahara (1887–1951), a native of Takamatsu, was always at the center of such activity. The exhibition commemorating the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Takamatsu Art Museum features 30 works by nine artists, centered on Kitahara, who is indispensable to any discussion of Japanese craft history.

Although Kitahara’s work during his period of activity with the groups mentioned above was strongly influenced by Art Deco and Constructivism, he was not always dominated by European ideas and doctrines. He strove to produce new works responding to the ways of life and cultures of the moment and created modern designs that were fusions of the traditional Japanese and the Western.

This exhibit is an excellent chance to enjoy Kitahara’s works from the 1930s, embodying motifs deeply rooted in ancient Japanese nature and culture, plus numerous precious drafts of superb designs.

Period：
June 30(Sat)-September 24(Mon),2018
　　
Venue：
Permanent Collection Gallery
　　
Closed：
Monday(the following weekday if Monday is a holiday)
　　
Hours：
Monday - Saturday & Holidays: 9:30 - 17:00 (Entry until 16:30)
*Until 19:00 during special exhibitions from Tuesday through Saturday and national holidays *Last entry is 30 minutes prior to closing.
　　
Organized by:
TAKAMATSU ART MUSEUM
　　
Admission：
【General 】200yen（160yen)
【University students】150yen (120yen)
【High school age or younger／ Seniors 65+】Admission free
※Advance Purchase and Groups of 20 or More Get Discounts (pricing in parenthesis)
※Free admission for those with a physical disability certificate, rehabilitation certificate, or mental disability certificate.
　　
Telephone Inquiry
Takamatsu Art Museum
TEL +81-87-823-1711