Art that Moves! -the Art of Light, Sound and Movement

The art of post-World War II Japan has continued to evolve in diverse ways. Its trajectory has been shaped by the emergence of pieces transcending such traditional genres as painting and sculpture, accompanied by major changes in artists’ creative methods, the studios where they work, and the places where they present their art.

In the 1950s, members of avant-garde artist groups, such as the Jikken Kōbō-Experimental Workshop and the Gutai Art Association, presented works that actively incorporated new media. Alongside these artists, groups such as Fluxus and High Red Center emerged, with creators expanding the possibilities of expression through performances and events in which they themselves moved. Opportunities for presenting art also increased, including the Yomiuri Independent Exhibition, which accepted open submissions; events combining theater and film; international art exhibitions; the 1970 Japan World Exposition; and outdoor sculpture exhibitions held throughout Japan. At the same time, materials and modes of expression became increasingly diverse. Subsequent advances in technology made light, sound, and video more readily accessible as artistic media. Installations combining these elements, as well as pieces that involved audience participation and movement, gradually became established as new forms of artistic expression.

Since its opening in 1988, one of the core collecting policies of the Takamatsu Art Museum has been to build a collection around Post-War Contemporary Japanese Art, while actively introducing emerging artists through exhibitions and events. Centered on the Museum’s collection, this exhibition looks back at the history and evolution of contemporary Japanese art through the keyword “movement.” We invite you to experience the artists’ ceaseless pursuit of new forms of expression through these “moving” works.