A museum’s role is not limited to collecting and exhibiting works of art.
The Ohara Museum of Art in the Bikan Historical Area also undertakes a range of initiatives, including supporting artists and promoting art.
One such initiative is business training.
The Ohara Museum of Art offers a program that teaches through “dialogic viewing,” in which participants look at artworks while talking about them.
We went behind the scenes at a business training session at the Ohara Museum of Art.
Photography is normally prohibited inside the Ohara Museum of Art. We were granted special permission to take photographs this time.
The information presented was current when this article was published in July 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is dialogic viewing at the Ohara Museum of Art?
Ohara Museum of Art was established in 1930, becoming Japan’s first private museum to permanently exhibit a collection focused on Western art.
You may think of museums as places where people view artworks in silence.
But one approach that has recently attracted attention is “dialogic viewing.”
It is a way for multiple visitors to view artworks while discussing their feelings and thoughts.
The Ohara Museum of Art has been offering dialogic viewing for more than 20 years.
Kurashiki Tocotoco previously interviewed Yanagisawa Hideyuki, who laid the foundations for dialogic viewing at the Ohara Museum of Art.
We covered its history, the ideas behind it, and the significance of the initiative.
About Pegasus Candle, which took part in the business training
The company taking part in the business training at the time of our visit was Pegasus Candle Co., Ltd., based in Kurashiki.
Founded in 1934, Pegasus Candle Co., Ltd. develops, manufactures, and sells candles.
Its products are sold to wedding venues, hotels, florists, funeral halls, and variety stores throughout Japan. It has long held a leading share of the domestic wedding-candle market.
The company also operates the creative French restaurant “Candle Taku Watanabe-tei” in Kurashiki City.
More than half of the employees are Kurashiki City residents, but they had visited the Ohara Museum of Art varying numbers of times.
Their interest in museums also varied. Some regularly visited museums, while others said, “I don’t know what to look at in a museum, so I wouldn’t go on my own.”
The training begins
The business training began after the Ohara Museum of Art had closed, with the museum reserved exclusively for the group. We were told that the lights at the front of the main building are switched on only for private events.
First, we heard about the Ohara Museum of Art and the Ohara family.
The explanation made the museum’s history and background easy to understand, without feeling stuffy.
Participants also learned how the museum differs from others, and responded positively: “The speaker was engaging and easy to understand,” and “I only knew a little about it, so I’m glad I learned more.”
Icebreaker 1: Find the odd one out
Next, we moved in front of the artworks and tried to find the “odd one out” among five pieces.
There is no “absolutely correct answer.”
We compared the works and looked for the odd one out in our own way.
I had seen the works selected for this activity many times before. But I realized that comparing them made me try to read more into the artworks than I had before.
After looking for a while, we shared which work we thought was the odd one out and why.
Here are some of the opinions shared:
- The canvas is larger than a person
- What is depicted is not real
- It gives a dark impression
- The caption shows that the artist is not French
- The brushwork is detailed and precise
When someone said, “This is the only work without a sky,” the facilitator (session leader) went on to explain the “difference in angle,” which I found interesting.
Listening to other people’s opinions led to many discoveries: “I hadn’t noticed that, but you’re right!”
Icebreaker 2: Choose an artwork to take home
Next, we chose one of a dozen or so artworks that we would “like to take home” and shared our reasons.
The painting you like may not be the one you’d want in your home.
Thinking, “What if I displayed it in my own home?” made the works in the museum feel much closer to me.
Then we shared our reasons with others who had chosen the same work. It also gave us a chance to talk with people we don’t often interact with.
If you were told this was “training where you express your opinions at an art museum,” you might feel that it would be hard to speak up without art knowledge.
But I think the atmosphere of this training made it clear that “it’s okay to speak freely.”
Group work
Once everyone felt comfortable speaking up, we split into small groups for dialogic viewing.
Share your opinion
We were given the following guidance:
- Share your own thoughts without worrying about finding the right answer
- Do not dismiss other people’s differing opinions
In front of the artwork, we first spent about a minute observing what was depicted.
For example, the group viewing Aman-Jean’s “Hair” discussed their thoughts on questions such as:
- What do you think is happening?
- What kind of relationship do the two people have?
- What time of day is it, and what is the situation?
The questions went beyond what was depicted in the painting, including, “Why do you think this painting is oval?”
Each person imagined what the artist might have been thinking, and exchanged opinions.
Discover differences in perception, Part 1
One group looking at a painting had the following conversation:
Facilitator: “What do you think is depicted?”
Participant A: “A person? I think someone is being supported by something.”
Facilitator: “I see, something like a person is being supported by something. Do they seem to have a gender?”
Participant A: “Maybe the one on the left is a man and the one on the right is a woman.”
Facilitator: “I see. What do the others think?”
Participant B: “I think both the left and right figures are women.”
Facilitator: “Thank you. Does anyone think they’re a different gender, or that they aren’t human in the first place?”
Participant C: “I thought they were robots like the ones in Star Wars.”
Even just in terms of “what it looks like,” we can see that three people can see it in three different ways.
Discover differences in perception, Part 2
The facilitator’s questions also brought to light “differences in perception that might otherwise go unnoticed in everyday conversation.”
One painting prompted the comment, “It looks like they’re heading to a ritual to offer a sacrifice.”
A man was asked how often he thought the ritual took place, and replied, “I don’t think it’s that frequent.” I assumed he meant about once every five years.
But when the facilitator asked him for a specific number, the man answered, “About once a month.”
The frequency I inferred from his words “not that frequent” was 60 times different from what he actually had in mind. Perhaps this kind of discrepancy happens often in everyday life, too.
I realized that even when we look at the same thing and hear the same words, our impressions may differ greatly.
It’s fascinating to hear other people’s opinions.
It changed how I saw the artworks and made me more interested in the people I viewed them with.
Recognize diverse values
After viewing several works, we gathered again.
Handouts were distributed, and we heard about the goals of the training.
I won’t go into detail, for the sake of those who will take part in the training in the future, but the two key terms are:
- Diversity
- Psychological safety
The entire program took about two hours. It was a friendly, relaxed training session.
Interview with the president of Pegasus Candle
After the training, we interviewed Isao Inoue, president and representative director of Pegasus Candle.
What made you decide to hold this training?
Inoue (honorific omitted)
A few months ago, someone brought me along to experience training in dialogic art appreciation. I found it really interesting, so I thought it would be great for our employees to try it too.
A lot of corporate training involves sitting down and looking at a whiteboard or materials. But I thought this would let people participate actively.
Also, when I asked the participants today, it seemed that hardly any of them had visited the Ohara Museum of Art in the past five years. Even if you live in Kurashiki, you don’t often get the chance to visit.
We’re a Kurashiki company, and I’d been wondering whether it was right that we knew so little about the Ohara family and the Ohara Museum of Art when talking with customers from other prefectures.
The training also included an explanation of how the Ohara Museum of Art came to be, which I found very interesting in itself as a Kurashiki resident.
Could you tell us about the challenges you face and the outcomes you hope to achieve through this training?
Inoue
Many of our employees have been with the company for a long time. Doing the same job for a long time makes you more efficient.
But, to borrow a phrase from the training, I think it can also make it easy to oversimplify things without seeing other people’s colored glasses, or to see things only through our own colored glasses.
So I thought this training was a perfect fit, since it helps people notice their fixed ideas by looking at things from different perspectives.
The same people have been working in product development for a long time in particular, so I hope this will give them some kind of stimulus.
Having watched the employees take part in the training, was anything different from what you had imagined?
Inoue
No, it was exactly the kind of training I had hoped for.
Without the explanation at the end, I think it would have ended as “an enjoyable visit.” Also, if they had explained things at the beginning, people might have felt guarded.
It was really good that we could first enjoy ourselves and speak up actively, and then hear the explanation at the end.
Interview with Pegasus Candle Employees
Next, we spoke with employees who took part in the training.
What did you think when you heard beforehand that there would be employee training at the Ohara Museum of Art?
Woman in her 30s
Training is often classroom-based, so I couldn’t picture what kind of training it would be.
Man in his 30s
I’ve been to the Ohara Museum of Art two or three times, but when I look at paintings, all I think is something simple like, “That’s amazing,” so I was quite worried about whether I’d be okay.
How was today’s training in practice?
Woman in her 30s
It was interesting.
I made new discoveries, and was also surprised by how differently things can look to different people.
Man in his 30s
I simply enjoyed it too.
What did you think about through the training?
Man in his 30s
I’m the youngest person in my department, so when other people have opinions different from mine, there are quite a lot of times when it’s hard to say what I want to say.
This training made me feel that it would create an environment where my supervisors would be more open to hearing my opinions, and that I could speak up too. I thought it was really good that we all shared the importance of expressing our opinions without dismissing one another’s.
Woman in her 30s
There was a painting that looked like both a ladder and a shelf. I was convinced it showed something like a ladder stretching vertically, seen from the side.
But as I listened to everyone’s opinions, some people were looking up at it, while others were looking down from above.
I realized how differently people can see things, and how many different perspectives and opinions there are.
Also, when someone’s opinion is rejected outright, I think it inevitably becomes harder for them to speak up, and they lose confidence too.
At work and in my personal life, I want to communicate by first accepting the other person’s opinion, then saying what I think or suggesting an approach.
Put What You Learn Through Dialogic Art Appreciation to Work
The Ohara Museum of Art trains facilitators in dialogic art appreciation, and many of its staff can serve as facilitators.
The facilitators asked thoughtful questions while drawing out participants’ opinions, making it an enjoyable training session where it was easy to express opinions.
Listening to other people’s opinions helps you notice perspectives you hadn’t thought of yourself.
At work, too, ideas may be more likely to grow when you think with other people than when you think alone.
I feel I learned through practice how to approach dialogue.
Dialogic art appreciation lets you experience how people differ in what they feel and think, in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
It is sure to be useful for team building that values diversity and psychological safety, both of which are considered important today.
If you’re interested, be sure to contact the Ohara Museum of Art.
Articles About the Ohara Museum of Art
Ohara Museum of Art Information
| Name | Ohara Museum of Art |
|---|---|
| Address | 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 public holiday or substitute holiday falls on a Monday Closed during winter; occasional temporary closures |
| Admission (tax included) | 【General admission】 Adults: ¥2,000 High school, junior high school, and elementary school students (under 18): ¥500 |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Available No reservation required for individuals |
| Smoking | Entire facility is non-smoking |
| Restrooms | Western-style toilets, accessible toilets |
| Childcare facilities | Nursing room, diaper-changing table, stroller rental 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 toilets, elevator |
| Website | Ohara Museum of Art Official Website |
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