The Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art Inaugural Exhibition
HIROSHI SUGIMOTO – POST VITAM
2020/5/26-2020/10/4
Venue [ Higashiyama Cube ]
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About the Exhibition
OPTICKS 008, 2018
© Hiroshi Sugimoto / Courtesy of Gallery KoyanagiOn March 21, 2020, the Kyoto City Museum of Art, will reopen in its new incarnation as the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art following an extensive upgrade. The Higashiyama Cube gallery, an exciting new addition built to mark the rebirth of this beloved 86 year old local institution, will be the venue for “HIROSHI SUGIMOTO – POST VITAM,” an exhibition of work by Hiroshi Sugimoto, a contemporary artist with a global practice who also has close ties with Kyoto.
Since the 1970s, Hiroshi Sugimoto has earned global acclaim for photographic works combining sophisticated large-format camera techniques with conceptual motifs. Sugimoto’s interests also encompass collecting art and historical documents from different times and places, architecture, and theater directing: all facets of his ongoing exploration of the concept of time, human perception, and the origins of consciousness.
Visiting Kyoto frequently over the years and finding himself moved to contemplative thought by the ancient capital’s long history, Sugimoto was inspired to create the Sea of Buddha series in the city. Now, to celebrate the renewal of the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art, situated in Okazaki, Kyoto, once home to six large temples, he will invoke the sacred splendor of an imaginary temple, under the title POST VITAM.
This first major exhibition by Hiroshi Sugimoto at a Kyoto museum will present a large-scale installation of photographic works by the artist including new large-format photos of the central figure in the main hall of the Rengeoin temple in Kyoto (better known as Sanjusangendo) together with the Sea of Buddha series; and for the first time anywhere, the OPTICKS series of large-format color photographs.
In addition to various works and artifacts involving Kyoto, jodo (pure land), and ruri (lapis lazuli) – glass, the exhibition will include Sugimoto’s Glass Tea House “Mondrian,” installed in the Museum’s outdoor Japanese garden. An intriguing addition to a show offering visitors the opportunity to take a fresh look at a photography-based creative practice developing alongside the artist’s intersecting religious, scientific and artistic spirits of inquiry, and ponder anew the state of the Japanese soul in its centuries-old craving for the pure land.—————————–
Visual presentation of Sugimoto’s essay ”Second Silent Spring”Hiroshi Sugimoto’s essay “Second Silent Spring” which appeared in the April 15 edition of the Yomiuri Shimbun has been recreated as a visual presentation viewable on YouTube. The work features installation views of HIROSHI SUGIMOTO – POST VITAM at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art.
▷ Hiroshi Sugimoto A Second Silent Spring
Keiichiro Shibuya’s composition “Appropriate Proportion” originally composed for the documentary film “Memories of Origin (2012)” was newly edited for this work.“Second Silent Spring” by Hiroshi Sugimoto (2020)
Production/text/direction: Hiroshi Sugimoto
Music: Keiichiro Shibuya “Appropriate Proportion” ATAK018 Soundtrack for Memories of Origin Hiroshi Sugimoto
Source: Yomiuri Shimbun (April 15, 2020)
Installation views: HIROSHI SUGIMOTO – POST VITAM at Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art
Photos: Yuji Ono, Yoshio Suzuki, Sugimoto Studio
OPTICKS 008, 2018
© Hiroshi Sugimoto / Courtesy of Gallery KoyanagiInformation
- Period
- 【On view】May 26– Oct. 4 (Sun), 2020
*Entry from May 26 (Tue) with required advance reservation. Please see here. - Time
- 10:00 – 18:00
- Venue
- Higashiyama Cube
- Closed on
- Mondays, except public holidays.
- Inquiriy
- Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art
TEL: 075-771-4334
- Admission
Adult ¥1,500
University / High school student ¥1,100—————————————————————–
Guest curator: Miki Akiko
About the Artist
Hiroshi Sugimoto
Born in 1948. Relocating to the United States in 1970, he has been working out of New York and Japan since 1974. Among his best-known photographic series are Seascapes and Theaters. He established the architectural design firm New Material Research Laboratory in 2008, and in 2017, ten years after its conception, opened the Odawara Art Foundation – Enoura Observatory. His production (direction/scenography) of At the Hawk’s Well will be performed in autumn 2019 at the Paris Opera. He is the author of books including Time Exposed, Utsutsu na zo, and Origins of Art. Recipient of the 2001 Hasselblad Foundation International Award in Photography, 2009 Praemium Imperiale Award for Painting (Japan), 2010 Medal with Purple Ribbon (Japan), 2013 Officier de L’ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France). Designated a Person of Cultural Merit (Japan) in 2017.
©Sugimoto Studio - Organizer: The Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art Inaugural Exhibition “HIROSHI SUGIMOTO – POST VITAM ” Executive Committee (The City of Kyoto, The Kyoto Shimbun, The Mainichi Newspapers, Mainichi Broadcasting System)
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Support: ERCO / Light and Licht Ltd.
- Supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan in fiscal 2020.
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Features
A comprehensive display of photographic works, including the premier of Sugimoto’s new large-format color print series OPTICKS.
Diverse program of associated events
Events run in conjunction with HIROSHI SUGIMOTO – POST VITAM will include performances at the artist’s Glass Tea House “Mondrian” installed in a Japanese garden and on display in Japan for the first time as part of the show; and Noh performance produced by Sugimoto and organized by Odawara Art Foundation at the ROHM Theatre Kyoto. There will also be a lecture by the artist.
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OPTICKS 008, 2018 Hiroshi Sugimoto © Hiroshi Sugimoto / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi 
Roof Tile from Hosshoji, Heian Period Photo: Yuji Ono
A piece of roof tile from Hosshoji-temple excavated from Kyoto's Okazaki district, where the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art is located, passed into the hands of Sugimoto after hundreds of years.
Pure Lapis Lazuli (The Realm of Vaiduryanirbhasa), 2005 Hiroshi Sugimoto © Hiroshi Sugimoto / Odawara Art Foundation
Photo: Yuji Ono
OPTICKS 026, 2018 Hiroshi Sugimoto © Hiroshi Sugimoto / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi 
OPTICKS 077, 2018 Hiroshi Sugimoto © Hiroshi Sugimoto / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi 
OPTICKS 100, 2018 Hiroshi Sugimoto © Hiroshi Sugimoto / Courtesy of Gallery Koyanagi 
Five Elements, Caribbean Sea, Jamaica, 2011 / 1980 Hiroshi Sugimoto © Hiroshi Sugimoto / Courtesy of Odawara Art Foundation 
Glass Tea House “Mondrian,” 2014 Hiroshi Sugimoto ©Hiroshi Sugimoto
Architects: New Material Research Laboratory / Hiroshi Sugimoto + Tomoyuki Sakakida. Originally commissioned for LE STANZE DEL VETRO, Venice / Courtesy of Pentagram Stiftung & LE STANZE DEL VETRO. -
Long-running Exhibition of the artist's Glass Tea House “Mondrian”
<i>Glass Tea House “Mondrian”</i>, 2014<br>©Hiroshi Sugimoto<br>Architects: New Material Research Laboratory / Hiroshi Sugimoto + Tomoyuki Sakakida. Originally commissioned for LE STANZE DEL VETRO, Venice / Courtesy of Pentagram Stiftung & LE STANZE DEL VETRO. Following installations in Venice and Versailles, Glass Tea House “Mondrian,” designed by Hiroshi Sugimoto / New Material Research Laboratory, will make its Japanese debut. The teahouse will be installed in the Japanese Garden adjacent to the new gallery, where it will remain as a piece of public art after the exhibition has closed, until January 31, 2021. During the exhibition, it will be the venue for performances, including “Locus Focus” by Tanaka Min, for tea ceremonies and more, serving as a space that fuses the traditional and modern.
<i>Glass Tea House “Mondrian”</i>, 2014<br>©Hiroshi Sugimoto<br>Architects: New Material Research Laboratory / Hiroshi Sugimoto + Tomoyuki Sakakida. Originally commissioned for LE STANZE DEL VETRO, Venice / Courtesy of Pentagram Stiftung & LE STANZE DEL VETRO. Hiroshi Sugimoto Interview with Aoki Jun, Director, Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art
Conducted at Sugimoto Studio, Tokyo on December 27, 2019.
Video 20 min.Shoot: Kato Hajime, Kanemaki Isao
Edit: Kanemaki Isao
Translation: Kawata Yasumasa (Art Translators Collective)The Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art Inaugural Event "DIVINE DANCE"
<i>Sambaso</i> Photo courtesy of Odawara Art Foundation <br>©Odawara Art Foundation As part of the HIROSHI SUGIMOTO – POST VITAM program, Noh performance produced by Hiroshi Sugimoto and organized by Odawara Art Foundation will be staged in Kyoto for the first time. The program will feature a re-interpretation of Sambaso, one of Japan’s oldest celebratory entertainments. Here, a fusion of traditional performing art and contemporary art transcending time and genre will serve as an embodiment of the expanding classic. The Sambaso of Nomura Mansai and son Yuki is bold and dynamic, guaranteeing an exciting show. Also on the program will be Tsukimi-zato, an opportunity to savor the artistry of National Treasure Nomura Mansaku, an actor at the very pinnacle of his abilities. The show will be an outstanding opportunity to enjoy performances by three generations of the Nomura acting dynasty, based on a worldview crafted by the multitalented Hiroshi Sugimoto.
Date: April 25 (Sat), 2020
Venue: ROHM Theatre Kyoto South Hall
Produced by Hiroshi Sugimoto and organized by Odawara Art Foundation
Performers:
Tsukimi-zato – Nomura Mansaku, others
Sambaso – Nomura Mansai, Nomura Yuki, others
Here is the detail of this event.<i>Sambaso</i> Photo courtesy of Odawara Art Foundation <br>©Odawara Art Foundation Talk between Asada Akira and the artist
This program will be shown on website.
Date: May 3 (Sun), 2020, 14:00-
Venue: Lecture room
*Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation available.*The exhibition HYOGU – Frame of Japan will be held around the same time at the Hosomi Museum of Art in Okazaki area, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto.
