A special exhibition by the Ohara Museum of Art was held at Yurin-so Villa in the Bikan Historical Area from Friday, October 18 to Monday, November 4, 2019 (a national holiday).
“Monument to Drifting,” by Motoyuki Shitamichi.
The author believes that “Shitamichi is one of the artists in Japan who deserves the most attention today.”
During the exhibition, visitors also had the rare opportunity to enter Yurin-so Villa, which is usually only visible from the outside, and enjoy an elegant view of the Bikan Historical Area.
We covered the special exhibition.
Photography is normally prohibited inside Yurin-so Villa. We were granted special permission to take photographs this time.
The information presented was current when this article was published in October 2019. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is Yurin-so Villa?
Yurin-so Villa is the former second residence of the Ohara family, who had a major influence on Kurashiki’s economy and culture.
It was built in 1928.
Usually, only the exterior can be seen.
However, since 1997, it has been opened to the public for one or two weeks each spring and autumn as the venue for special exhibitions organized by the Ohara Museum of Art.
The article below provides more details about the features and highlights of Yurin-so Villa. Please take a look.
In particular, we hope you’ll take note of these three highlights:
- The superb view of the Bikan Historical Area from the second floor
- A fine example of Japanese-Western eclectic architecture
- Two gardens created by a pioneer of modern Japanese gardens
The roof tiles that give the building its nickname, “Green Palace,” are also featured in the article below.
About Motoyuki Shitamichi
Motoyuki Shitamichi is an artist born in Okayama City in 1978.
He has participated in numerous exhibitions, including the Asian Art Biennial 2013 (Taiwan), Gwangju Biennale 2018 (South Korea), and MOVING STONES (France), and has held solo exhibitions in Aichi, Toyama, and elsewhere.
In March 2019, he received the Tokyo Contemporary Art Award 2019–2021.
He is also a leading artist representing Japan at the 2019 Japan Pavilion of the Venice Biennale, the world’s largest international art exhibition with a history of more than 120 years.
The Venice Biennale is an international exhibition held once every two years and is often called the Olympics of art.
It is probably the exhibition that attracts the most attention from the art world around the globe.
Artists representing their countries at the Venice Biennale are leading artists who embody their nations.
The author thinks of them as being like flag bearers at the Olympics.
It’s incredible that Shitamichi is holding a solo exhibition in Kurashiki!
Here’s an introduction to the exhibition.
About “Monument to Drifting”
The Monument to Drifting project began in Okinawa in 2014.
The exhibition at Yurin-so Villa consists of the following three parts:
- Okinawan Glass
- Tsunami Stones
- Nagisa Sansai
Each room features a different series, making this an exhibition to enjoy as an immersive experience.
Okinawan Glass
Glass bottles from China, South Korea, and elsewhere wash up on Okinawa’s beaches.
The “Okinawan Glass” project uses these bottles as material and works with Ryukyu glass artisans to revive them as recycled glass.
Shitamichi has continued to reflect on “borders.”
Within the framework of Japan, Okinawa is an “inside” place for Shitamichi.
But when he went to Okinawa, he was apparently seen as an “outsider,” someone from “mainland Japan.”
Geographically, Okinawa can be considered a land of borders.
The beach, too, is a boundary between land and sea.
What colors might the tableware made from glass bottles that have drifted from various places and washed ashore at this boundary have?
In the “Okinawan Glass” project, glass from different manufacturing plants is mixed together, making it prone to breaking because of differences in expansion rates.
Apparently, it would be less likely to break if it were mixed completely, but Shitamichi said, “It feels wrong for it to be completely mixed.”
The work includes its instability: the materials have melted together, but are not uniform.
The exhibition also includes photographs of bottles washed ashore and of the materials, referred to as “recipes.”
Tsunami Stones
The Miyako and Yaeyama Islands are home to many stones called “tsunami stones,” which were carried ashore by tsunamis.
Tsunamis occur roughly every 500 years, and each time many rocks are swept in, it is said.
One of the series of monochrome video works documenting tsunami stones is on display at Yurin-so Villa.
The video shown at Yurin-so Villa features a rock that has become a colony for migratory birds.
This series on tsunami stones is also being exhibited at the Venice Biennale.
The glass bottles in the “Okinawan Glass” series and the tsunami stones have in common that they were “washed ashore.”
Some washed ashore recently, others long ago.
Comparing them made me feel more keenly how much time has passed since the tsunami stones arrived here.
Nagisa Sansai
A new work created in Kurashiki for Yurin-so Villa is “Nagisa Sansai.”
It is a work made by crushing and arranging glass washed ashore, then melting it into sheets of glass.
Kurashiki is a city known for folkcraft and glass
The “Nagisa Sansai” series was created with the cooperation of faculty members from the Glass Course in the Faculty of Arts at Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts.
According to Shitamichi, this sheet glass could not be made without the right combination of equipment, knowledge, and techniques.
Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts had all of these.
Kurashiki is an important city for folkcraft.
It is also a city with a thriving glass craft industry.
For more about the relationship between folkcraft and Kurashiki, see the article below.
Shitamichi said, “It’s rare in Japan to find a place where glass is so close to everyday life.”
He apparently felt that his own interests aligned with the culture of Kurashiki.
Nagisa Sansai, retaining traces of its origins as glass bottles
Nagisa Sancai was made by melting glass in a mold.
The side that faced down while it was being melted retains traces of its former life as a glass bottle.
Apparently, the work was made by deliberately preserving those traces and polishing only the side that had faced up.
You can see the ridges and lettering on the bottom of the bottle—how fascinating!
Where did this glass come from, how was it used, and how did it end up here?
It really got my imagination going.
A window in Yurin-so Villa becomes part of the artwork
And “Nagisa Sancai” has become one of the windowpanes in Yurin-so Villa!
A window, too, is an object that separates inside from outside.
It was created “so as not to detract from the appeal of Yurin-so Villa’s building and spaces,” and I felt that it blended into its surroundings.
See works by artists representing Japan
What changes, what remains, and what disappears.
Inside and outside.
Are the things I have always thought of as boundaries really boundaries?
How should we relate to them?
The works posed these questions, prompting me to reconsider how I myself should be.
Shitamichi is attracting attention from both Japan and abroad.
Why not see the series exhibited at the Venice Biennale, along with new works created especially for Kurashiki, at Yurin-so Villa?
As well as the exhibition, the beautiful architecture and garden, and the views from the windows are also well worth seeing.
A variety of special exhibitions held at cultural facilities in the Bikan Historical Area
During the special exhibition at Yurin-so Villa, a variety of special exhibitions were held at cultural facilities in the Bikan Historical Area.
At the Ohara Museum of Art, “ARKO 2019: Nana Kuromiya” ran through Friday, December 27, 2019.
At the Kurashiki Archaeological Museum, “Kawai Kanjiro Encounters Antiquity: Kawai Kanjiro of Izumo and Kojima Torajiro of Kibi” ran through Sunday, November 24, 2019.
At the Kurashiki Museum of Folkcraft, “The Four Seasons of Crafts: From the Last Days of Summer to Year’s End” was held on Sunday, December 1, 2019.
Be sure to visit these exhibitions as well.
Articles about Yurin-so Villa
Ohara Museum of Art Yurin-so Villa Information
| Name | Ohara Museum of Art Yurin-so Villa |
|---|---|
| Location | 1-3-18 Chuo, Kurashiki City |
| Contact | 086-422-0005 |
| Parking | None |
| Opening hours | Normally, only the exterior can be viewed. October 18 (Fri)–November 4 (Mon, holiday), 2019: 10:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. *Last admission at 4:00 p.m. *Open every day during the exhibition |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Admission (tax included) | 【Yurin-so Villa admission】 Adults: ¥1,000 Students: ¥500 【Combination ticket】 *Admission to Yurin-so Villa and the Ohara Museum of Art (Main Building/Annex/Craft and Oriental Art Hall) is included Adults: ¥1,800 Students: ¥1,000 |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Not available |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Website | Reiwa Year 1 Autumn Special Opening of Yurin-so Villa: Motoyuki Shitamichi, Monument to Drifting | Ohara Museum of Art |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a word to search articles on this site
