ART | Michael Borremans: Advantage at The National Museum of Art, Osaka
ART | A Painter of Human Destiny's First Solo Exhibition in Japan
Michaël Borremans: The Advantage at Hara Museum ARC
This is the first solo exhibition in a Japanese museum by Michaël Borremans (born 1963), a leading contemporary artist from Belgium: 'Michaël Borremans: The Advantage'. It will be held from Saturday, January 11, to Sunday, March 30, at the Hara Museum ARC in Shinagawa Ward.
Text by YANAKA Tomomi
Featuring 30 Self-Selected Works and Video Art
Michaël Borremans is known for his paintings that depict the fate of humanity in an opaque modern society. Born in Belgium in 1963, he transitioned from photography to oil painting in the mid-1990s, in his thirties. Since then, he has held solo exhibitions at cutting-edge museums and art spaces, his enigmatic world captivating many.
He is praised for drawing on the techniques of Old Masters and Impressionists like Diego Velázquez and Édouard Manet, while also inheriting the legacy of Belgian Surrealism. His works are also known for their extremely low completion rate relative to the number of pieces started.
Borremans, having visited the Hara Museum in the past, was deeply moved by its historic architecture and atmosphere, and had long desired a solo exhibition. This exhibition, fulfilling that wish, showcases 30 of his works selected by the artist, from his early pieces to recent creations. Additionally, it features video works he began producing in recent years. The documentary film 'A Knife in the Eye' will be screened three times daily.
Borremans depicts the universal human condition through people engaged in their own rituals and tasks, isolated in time and space from reality. This is the first opportunity in Japan to experience his works, which emanate a mysterious aura within their stillness and invite deep contemplation.
*Reference image
Michaël Borremans: The Advantage
Dates | Saturday, January 11 – Sunday, March 30 *Closed Mondays, except Monday, January 13 (a public holiday), for which the museum will be open, with Tuesday, January 14, being the substitute closing day.
Hours | 11:00 – 17:00 *Wednesdays until 20:00
Venue | Hara Museum ARC
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