When Bad Things Happen to Good Artists: Ill-Starred Painters in Arashiyama, Kyoto
Colin Smith
Some museum-goers skip over explanatory wall panels, whether because of time constraints or because they feel the art ought to speak for itself. If this is you, Ill-Starred Painters is worth making an exception for and ensuring sufficient time to read the accompanying texts. The 130 works in the exhibition, held at two neighboring museums in Arashiyama, Kyoto, range widely in era (early 18th to early 20th century), style, and subject. While some depict tragic scenes, what unites them thematically is the sorrow and adversity that figure in the lives of the artists. more...
Yokohama Legacy: A City Pays Tribute to Two Visionary Architects
James Lambiasi
Yokohama has been a city of visionary architecture ever since its founding in 1859, and this is clearly evident in its evolution into a vibrant urban center. Originally established as the first port in Japan to officially welcome international trade, it has continued to lead the way in urban planning by preserving its valuable history while looking toward the future through innovative design. There are two great Japanese architects who have contributed to this accomplishment: Togo Murano and his successor by one generation, Fumihiko Maki. In fact, 2020 marks an important milestone in their relationship with Yokohama, as the new Yokohama City Hall, designed by Maki, was inaugurated this year, and an ambitious development is being planned for repurposing the former Yokohama City Hall, which was designed by Murano. more...
End of an Era: The Hara Museum's Last Show
Alan Gleason
Tokyo's art scene will suffer a great loss when one of its mainstays, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, closes its doors in mid-January. When it opened in 1979, the Hara was the first museum in the capital, and one of the first in the nation, to focus on contemporary art. Since then it has presented a roster of consistently top-notch artists from Japan and overseas. But what makes a visit to the Hara such a unique experience is the venue itself, a classic example of prewar Art Moderne architecture that was originally a private residence, built by the Hara family in 1938. Looking out over a spacious garden on a Tokyo hilltop and filled with intimate spaces and quirky design elements in a handsome crescent-shaped layout, it is a museum like no other. We will miss it badly. more...
