A special exhibition is being held at the Ohara Museum of Art in the Bikan Historical Area through Monday, September 23, 2024 (substitute holiday).
The title is Special Exhibition: “Do Different Cultures Resonate? Opening the Door to Modernity through the Ohara Collection”.
It was curated by Miura Atsushi, who became director of the Ohara Museum of Art in July 2023.
Compared with the permanent exhibition, this special exhibition features a substantial number of changes to the displays. Behind its fresh presentation of the appeal of the Ohara Museum of Art and the Ohara Collection are Director Miura’s aspirations as director and his curiosity as a researcher.
Around the midpoint of the exhibition period, we interviewed Director Miura. We asked about the background to the special exhibition and the specific ways the displays were arranged.
The information presented here was current when this article was published in September 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About the Ohara Museum of Art
The Ohara Museum of Art was established in 1930 as Japan’s first private museum devoted primarily to Western art.
It is divided into the Main Building, the Annex (currently closed), and the Craft Art and Asian Art Gallery, and houses approximately 3,000 works.
Its wide-ranging collection includes Western works such as El Greco’s “The Annunciation” and Claude Monet’s “Water Lilies,” as well as modern and contemporary Japanese works and works by artists associated with the Mingei movement.
The historic Ohara Museum of Art changed the name of its foundation in April 2024 to the Ohara Art Foundation. The foundation, which also operates the Kurashiki Archaeological Museum, is embarking on a new chapter.
The Ohara Institute for the Arts was also newly established. It has announced that it will serve as a place where researchers from various fields gather, exchange ideas, take on challenges, and create, with “art” as its theme.
The special exhibition “Do Different Cultures Resonate? Opening the Door to Modernity through the Ohara Collection” is being held to mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Ohara Museum of Art.
What is “Do Different Cultures Resonate? Opening the Door to Modernity through the Ohara Collection”?
The special exhibition “Do Different Cultures Resonate? Opening the Door to Modernity through the Ohara Collection” (hereafter, “the special exhibition”) draws on the rich history and collection of the Ohara Museum of Art to offer a fresh perspective on the appeal of modern art and the museum.
| Venue | Ohara Museum of Art, Main Building |
|---|---|
| Exhibition period | April 23–September 23, 2024 |
| Opening hours | 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (last admission at 4:30 p.m.) |
| Admission | Admission to the Ohara Museum of Art (valid for the Main Building and Craft Art and Asian Art Gallery) Adults: ¥2,000 High school, junior high, and elementary school students (under 18): ¥500 Children under elementary school age: Free |
The major difference from the permanent exhibition is that it focuses on modern art, a core part of the collection, and presents it in four chapters organized around the special exhibition’s theme.
- Chapter 1: Kojima Torajiro, a cultural border-crosser
- Chapter 2: West and Japan—The intersection of Western art and modern Japanese art
- Chapter 3: East-West exchange—Focusing on Shirakaba and Mingei
- Chapter 4: The resonance of modernity and the contemporary
The works are displayed in an arrangement different from the permanent exhibition, including displays organized around hubs of cultural exchange and displays that place artworks alongside related materials.
A distinctive feature is that visitors can view and compare the works—those displayed next to one another, those in the same chapter, and across the exhibition as a whole.
Some familiar works are displayed in places different from usual.
Even those who have visited the Ohara Museum of Art many times can enjoy the exhibition from a new perspective.
Director Miura, who curated the exhibition, says that the special exhibition also incorporates the research findings of the museum’s curators.
We interviewed Director Miura about his thoughts on holding the special exhibition and the specific ways the displays were arranged.
Interview with Director Miura: Having such wonderful works allowed us to try a different way of presenting them
Could you tell us how the special exhibition came about?
Miura (honorifics omitted)
The main impetus was that, after becoming director of the Ohara Museum of Art, I began to think, “With such wonderful works, surely there must be another way to present them.”
Even before becoming director, I had visited the Ohara Museum of Art many times on my own. As Japan’s first Western art museum, it has a rich tradition and history, and I thought each of its works was truly wonderful.
The permanent exhibition was already satisfying in its own right, but after becoming director, when I looked at the Ohara Museum of Art’s collection in that role, I began to wonder, “What would happen if we changed the way it was displayed?”
I knew putting on a special exhibition would not be easy, but I thought my first year as director was precisely the right opportunity to try something new.
The Ohara Museum of Art was also beginning a new chapter as one of the Ohara Art Foundation’s organizations, so I thought it was the right time to show that something had changed in some way.
My own aspirations, my position, and changes in the organization all came together at the right time, so I decided to hold the special exhibition.
The special exhibition is titled “Do Different Cultures Resonate?” and is characterized by the many ways visitors can view and compare the works. Why did you create an exhibition that invites visitors to compare works?
Miura
The Ohara Museum of Art has a fine collection of Western art, but it also has many excellent works of modern Japanese art and contemporary art.
Until now, Western paintings and Japanese paintings had been displayed separately. But I had long thought it would be interesting to place them side by side and compare them, so I made that idea a reality.
In fact, I came up with this display approach very quickly. I don’t think it took even a day. That’s because Western art and modern Japanese art are closely connected to begin with.
For example, Japan had no tradition of oil painting. Japanese oil painting emerged by imitating Western-style painting, and modern Japanese Western-style painting appeared later.
Seen this way, modern Japanese art was comprehensively influenced by Western art. They are different works, but they are not unrelated.
However, Western art and modern Japanese art differ in their perspectives, sensibilities, treatment of materials, choice of subject matter, and everything else. In other words, they became something different from works by artists overseas. They became, so to speak, “Western paintings painted by Japanese people.”
I felt that comparing Western-style and Japanese paintings would bring out their respective characteristics more clearly, and that was when I began to take an interest in holding an exhibition outside the permanent display.
Also, as a researcher, I have conducted art history research based on comparison. An exhibition method based on “comparison” came naturally to me.
I thought, “Until now, I’ve been placing them side by side in my mind and comparing them, but what would they look like if we actually put them side by side in the gallery?” That’s how we got started.
The impression that each painting has become more powerful
How, specifically, did you put the special exhibition together?
Miura
The idea of comparing Western art and modern Japanese art came to me quickly, so I began by developing Chapter 2, “West and Japan—The intersection of Western art and modern Japanese art.”
Chapter 2 is organized around eight themes, allowing visitors to view and compare the works.
I discussed the specific content of the themes with the curators, came up with several candidates, and then settled on the eight themes that we thought would make the Ohara Collection most interesting to view.
- Other cultures
- The nude
- Labor
- Classical art
- Religion and faith
- Light
- Painterly texture
- Surface qualities
Could you tell us about a display in Chapter 2 that you feel particularly strongly about?
Miura
They are all memorable, but I especially wanted to try the display for the fifth theme, “Religion and faith”.
I was interested to see how El Greco’s “The Annunciation,” painted in Spain in the early 17th century, would look alongside works imbued with religious qualities from modern Japanese Western-style painting.
For the other themes, I could more or less imagine how they would look, but I couldn’t tell with “Religion and Faith” until I actually arranged the works in the gallery.
That’s because, of the eight themes, “Religion and Faith” was the only one in which the works were painted in different eras.
Not only were they painted in different places, but in different eras, too. There are two distinct elements: geography and culture. I even wondered whether, when arranged in the gallery, they might feel completely out of place—or whether the exhibition might fail.
It was the most challenging exhibition, so I feel especially attached to it.
When you actually placed The Annunciation alongside works of Japanese modern Western-style painting with religious themes, how did it feel?
Miura
Well, it was very interesting. It gave me a lot to think about because there were so many ways to compare the works.
When Christianity, a foreign culture, arrived in modern Japan, each of the three painters interpreted and depicted it in a completely different way, I thought.
In the end, I think this exhibition also came together in an intriguing way.
Are exhibitions that allow comparisons across so many different themes rare in Japan?
Miura
I think they are.
Above all, there aren’t many museums that can exhibit this many masterpieces as subjects for comparison. The fact that the museum has such a large, high-quality collection is, once again, what makes the Ohara Museum of Art so remarkable.
When I saw the special exhibition, I felt the strong impression made by each work in the Ohara Collection. The works themselves were unchanged; only the way they were displayed had changed, and yet it was fascinating.
Miura
It feels as though the paintings have become more powerful, doesn’t it?
Of course, they were already excellent works, but they show their appeal from a different angle than before, and seem more powerful. I was struck by how much the impression could change just by arranging them differently.
I was especially surprised by Aristide Maillol’s Torso of Île-de-France.
In the permanent exhibition, it had been placed in a corner of the room, but for the special exhibition, we put it in the center of the gallery.
Photo courtesy of the Ohara Art Foundation
When we placed the single sculpture in the center, it seemed to shine so brightly. It was strange.
I was struck by how completely different the works look depending on how they are arranged, placed, and viewed. I hope you’ll come and see for yourself.
An ambitious exhibition only the Ohara Museum of Art could create
The exhibition of Kojima Torajiro in Chapter 1 was also memorable.
Miura
In the permanent exhibition, Kojima’s works were in the gallery for Chapter 3. So I think it makes an impact just to have his works in the gallery right by the entrance.
I decided to feature Kojima in Chapter 1 because I wanted to view him as a cosmopolitan.
A cosmopolitan is someone who believes in the political philosophy that sees the international social sphere as a single community transcending nations, ethnic groups, languages, and religions, and holds that all individuals belonging to it are equal.
He went to Europe and China, and even set foot in Egypt. Among painters of the first half of the 20th century, very few had seen so many of the world’s civilizations and gathered so many works in their own studio.
What’s more, he interacted with all kinds of people locally, saw the landscapes, and incorporated everything he brought back into his own world, making it resonate within his works. Since the works themselves contain so many different civilizations, I wanted visitors to see that Kojima’s works alone can serve as subjects for comparison.
“Kojima Torajiro, who traveled the world.” By presenting Kojima this way, we have also given him the role of introducing the special exhibition.
Meanwhile, the room where Kojima’s works are displayed in the permanent exhibition is devoted in the special exhibition to “Chapter 3: East-West Exchange—Focusing on Shirakaba and Mingei.” It features crafts by artists associated with the Mingei (folk crafts) movement, right?
Miura
Crafts belong to a different genre from painting, so although we recognized their importance, I don’t think they had necessarily been a subject of research.
However, Yanagi Muneyoshi launched the Mingei movement, and Ohara supported it, so there should be a strong connection with the Ohara Museum of Art.
Yanagi was also someone who brought together the West, the East, and Japan in creating his works. Though he was different in type, in a sense he can also be seen as someone who connected Eastern and Western civilizations, just like Kojima.
In Chapter 3, I hope you’ll feel the connection between the Ohara Museum of Art and Mingei, while also thinking back to Kojima in Chapter 1.
Comparing works within each theme sounds interesting, as does comparing them across the special exhibition as a whole.
Miura
The exhibition is structured so that the entire special exhibition resonates as a whole.
I think you’ll find it even more interesting if you keep the works in each chapter in mind as you view the other chapters.
Another aim of this special exhibition was to “condense the entire Ohara Museum of Art.”
It’s an ambitious exhibition that only the Ohara Museum of Art could create, offering everything from postwar art to contemporary art.
Come and see for yourself whether different cultures resonate
I was glad to see explanations for individual works, which I hadn’t often seen in the permanent exhibition. I think they’re helpful for people new to art appreciation.
Miura
The curators also worked hard on the explanations.
We thought some visitors might want to know more, such as “What is depicted in this painting?” or “What does it mean?” So we made the explanations especially thorough in Chapter 1.
That said, just because there are explanations doesn’t mean you have to read them all.
I think people who need them can read them.
It’s been three months since the special exhibition opened. What kind of response have you received?
Miura
Visitors have told us they found it “interesting.”
We’ve received a lot of feedback from people who have seen the permanent exhibition.
A researcher I know was also deeply moved and even sent me an email, which made me very happy.
I’ll keep doing my best to make sure more people can see it before the exhibition closes.
Could you tell us again what you hoped to convey with the theme, “Do Different Cultures Resonate?”
Miura
I don’t think it’s easy for different cultures to resonate.
Because they are different cultures, conflict and opposition can arise. They may resonate, but they may not.
Some visitors may feel a disconnect or friction as they view this special exhibition. So in the end, the title became a question: “Do Different Cultures Resonate?”
How you view the works is up to you; there is no right answer.
I want visitors to decide for themselves whether the cultures resonate.
Looking ahead, we hope to collaborate with other museums on exhibitions and research
Is there anything you’d like to tell our readers?
Miura
First of all: “Please come and see it.” That’s what it all comes down to.
I think you’ll find it very rewarding to see, and it will also give you plenty to think about.
We’ve given each chapter a theme, but we’ve made this an exhibition that you can view quite freely.
Whether or not you know a lot about the background of art, this is a special exhibition that anyone can enjoy and find impactful.
I think you’ll find it satisfying as an exhibition, so first, step through the entrance of the Ohara Museum of Art.
Finally, could you tell us about your plans for the future?
Miura
Once the special exhibition ends, we plan to return to the permanent exhibition.
However, I want it to be different from the permanent exhibition we had before the special exhibition. We won’t make major changes, but we plan to make smaller adjustments to the displays.
Then, when the time is right, I’d like to put on another special exhibition.
What I’m thinking about now is borrowing even one or two works from other museums and building an exhibition by mixing them with the Ohara Collection. We’ve hardly ever borrowed works before, so I’d really like to give it a try.
We’ve also launched the Ohara Institute for the Arts, so I’d like to pursue research in collaboration with other museums.
Since I became director, I’ve often repeated the words “sharing and exchange.” I’d like to focus our efforts on “sharing and exchange,” both in organizing exhibitions and in research.
From the Writer
When I visited the special exhibition, I remember being surprised by how different the displays were from the permanent exhibition.
I also felt that each work made a stronger impression, and appreciated the interest of changing the displays. I understand that this was almost the first time in the Ohara Museum of Art’s long history that the displays had been changed on such a large scale.
I think this is a special exhibition that you can especially enjoy if you’ve visited the Ohara Museum of Art before.
If it’s your first time at the Ohara Museum of Art, you’ll be able to enjoy the size and quality of its collection with fresh eyes.
Be sure to visit the Ohara Museum of Art and discover its appeal from a new perspective.
Articles about the Ohara Museum of Art
Ohara Museum of Art Information
| Name | Ohara Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-1-15 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-422-0005 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening hours | 【December–February】 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. (last admission: 2:30 p.m.) 【March–November】 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. (last admission: 4:30 p.m.) |
| Closed | Mondays Open when a Monday falls on a national holiday or substitute holiday Closed during the winter; may also close temporarily |
| Admission (tax included) | 【General admission】 Adults: ¥2,000 High school, junior high school, and elementary school students (under 18): ¥500 |
| Payment methods |
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| Reservations | Available No reservation required for individuals |
| Smoking | Entire facility is non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style restrooms, accessible restrooms |
| Families with children | Nursing room, diaper-changing tables, stroller rental The nursing room is in the Craft Museum Diaper-changing tables are on the second floor of the Main Building and in the Craft Museum |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair rental, ramps, accessible restrooms, elevator |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art Official Website |
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