ART | 'Home Again – 10 Artists Who Experienced Japan' Exhibition
ART│A Glimpse into What 10 Artists Felt and Expressed in Japan, a Land Not Their Own
Home Again – 10 Artists Experience Japan Exhibition
The Hara Museum in Shinagawa, Tokyo, will host "Home Again – 10 Artists Experience Japan," an exhibition featuring international artists from Asia and the Americas who have stayed in Japan. The exhibition runs from Tuesday, August 28, to Sunday, November 18.
Text by YANAKA Tomomi
Works Created During Stays in Japan, Plus New and Recent Pieces
In today's globalized world, international exchange is vibrant in the contemporary art scene. In Japan, Artist-in-Residence (AIR) programs, which invite artists from Japan and abroad for a set period to support their activities during their stay, are actively conducted. These programs allow artists from around the globe to experience Japanese culture and society, finding inspiration for their creative endeavors.
This exhibition showcases works by 10 emerging artists from diverse backgrounds—Indonesia, Singapore, India, Afghanistan, Brazil, Argentina, and the United States—who participated in AIR programs in Japan between 2007 and 2011. The exhibition features paintings, installations, sculptures, and more. It includes pieces selected from their work created in Japan during their approximately three-month stays, where they discovered their own motifs, alongside recent and new works produced after their return home.
Indonesian artist Duto Hardono presents a sound installation created during his stay in Japan, featuring random recordings of sounds and voices from Tokyo. He also exhibits a conceptual new work involving postcards mailed daily to himself in Tokyo over the course of a month. Mary-Elizabeth Yarbrough from the United States, intrigued by Japanese karaoke and enka music culture, contributes two-dimensional works inspired by Hibari Misora, an artist who particularly influenced her.
Left | Duto Hardono
"Untitled (It's the B-side)" / 2011 / Cassette tape, frame / 36.0 x 21.2 cm (Reference image)
Photo: KIOKU Keizo
Right | Mary-Elizabeth Yarbrough
"Nice to Meet You" / 2007 / Duct tape, contact paper / 63.0 x 56.0 cm
These artists hail from various cultural spheres, differing in language, religion, and customs. What was their experience of "Japan"? This exhibition offers a fascinating opportunity to explore this question and to see how the "residue" of that experience manifests in their subsequent creative output.
Home Again – 10 Artists Experience Japan Exhibition
Dates | Tuesday, August 28 – Sunday, November 18
Closed | Mondays (Open on national holidays September 17 and October 8). Closed September 18 (Tuesday), October 9 (Tuesday).
Hours | 11:00 – 17:00 (Wednesdays until 20:00; last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Venue | Hara Museum
4-7-25 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Tel. 03-3445-0651
Admission | Adults ¥1000, University/High School Students ¥700, Elementary/Junior High School Students ¥500