Rhythm, Resonance, Noise
I. The Dawn of Abstraction: Experiments 100 Years Ago
II. Postwar Abstraction: Resonating and Violent Forms
III. Expanding Form: Focus on "Nihonga" since the 1990s
[Special Feature: Shoji Fuku's "The Rhythm of Spring"]
IV. Forms of Repetition
[Foyer] Special Feature: Miyagawa Kozan
[Grand Gallery] Sculptures in the 20th Century
In this edition of the collection exhibition, titled "Rhythm, Resonance, Noise," focuses on exchanges between artists from a wide range of genres and the development of abstract expressions from the 20th century to the contemporary era. It is being held in conjunction with "Changing and Unchanging Things: Noguchi and Hasegawa in Postwar Japan," a special exhibition running concurrently at the museum.
In discussing art of the 20th century, the most significant development, which distinguishes the work from that era from previous eras, was probably the birth of abstract expression. Approximately 100 years ago, a succession of artistic experiments in abstract and geometric painting and sculpture emerged simultaneously in Europe, including Dada in Switzerland and Germany, Constructivism in Russia, Cubism in France, and Futurism in Italy. In the years that followed, Japanese artists also adopted these various avant-garde trends from around the world.
But these movements were not spearheaded by visual artists alone; they also involved a host of collaborations between artists and poets and musicians. Innovative and experimental music and literature, which set out to de- and reconstruct traditional forms, emerged alongside similar trends in art. Among these was atonal music, which dispensed with ordered harmony, and sound and concrete poetry, which detached words from their meanings. Moreover, the technological advances of the late 19th century turned photography into an important artistic technique, and the newly invented medium of motion pictures took shape at once, preparing the way for a wide range of expressions in the early 20th century that continued on into the contemporary age.
In this exhibition, we present revolutionary works by trailblazing European artists from the early 20th century along with those by postwar Japanese avant-garde artists such as the Gutai Art Association, and photographers associated with the so-called ”are-bure” (grainy, blurry) approach, who might be seen as heirs to this avant-garde spirit. In addition, we introduce some innovative examples of contemporary Nihon-ga (Japanese-style painting) since the 1990s, and some works by currently active artists. We hope that you will enjoy this diverse assortment of artistic expressions, which began in the 20th century and are distinguished by experiments with abstraction and reconstruction, and their attempts to deconstruct color and form as if they were elements of music such as rhythm, resonance, and noise.
