Events

Talk Session "Japan / Stories / Realism" * Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation available

Leading Japanese anime director Tomino Yoshiyuki, whose work includes films in the Gundam series such as Mobile Suit Gundam and Gundam Reconguista in G, as well as Space Runaway Ideon and others, will join Takashi Murakami for a discussion based mainly on various keywords.

Movie Jellyfish Eyes Screening + Talk * Conducted in Japanese

A special screening of Takashi Murakami's 2013 directorial debut Jellyfish Eyes to coincide with the exhibition. Following the screening, actor Saito Takumi, the film's cast member, will join Takashi Murakami to talk about the movie, its production process, and more.

Talk Session "Piquant! Discussion on Japanese Art" * Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation available

Takashi Murakami is part of a long lineage of "eccentric" artists in Japanese art history. For this event Murakami is joined by art historian Tsuji Nobuo, a driving force of today's Japanese art boom and one of the first to celebrate eccentric painters in Japanese art history such as Ito Jakuchu and Soga Shohaku, to discuss the realm of Murakami's works as well as the allure and future of Japanese art.

Talk "The Great Quake, The 500 Arhats, and Takashi Murakami" * Conducted in Japanese

Art critic Sawaragi Noi, who has observed Takashi Murakami's career for many years from his early works created during his postgraduate studies to The 500 Arhats, discusses the place of Murakami's works in the contemporary art world and their significance from his own unique perspective.

Talk "Japanese Dual Standard" * Conducted in Japanese

Akutagawa Prize-winning author and head monk of Fukujuji Temple Genyu Sokyu discusses Japanese culture and Murakami's artwork.

Calling lacquerware "japanning" was a stroke of genius. Lacquerware production involves repeating the opposing acts of "coating" and "polishing" (shaving), producing a subtle, "jewel-like" gleam. Doubtless I am not alone in sensing a taste of that in Murakami's recent Zen circles. Come to think of it, opposing vectors: boldness and delicacy, loquacity and silence, desolation and fertility, have been colliding with each other within Murakami all along, driving the engine of his practice. I'd like to show that this is precisely what Japanese traditional art has been since the Kojiki.

―The Spiritual Life Force of "Dichotomy," Genyu Sokyu

Mori Art Museum x Bijutsu Techo x Kaikai Kiki
Talk "Lesson on How to View Takashi Murakami's Artworks" * Conducted in Japanese

Hashimoto Mari, an art writer who supervised Takashi Murakami's feature article on "Bijutsu Techo" January 2016 issue, will give a special one-day lesson on Murakami artworks.

Special Performance "Tanaka Min - Odori, with The Five Hundered Arhats"

Tanaka Min will confront Takashi Murakami's The 500 Arhats, first to have been shown in Japan. Those who see his performance are to be the "observers" of the moment.

• * The exhibition "Takashi Murakami: The 500 Arhats" will close at 17:00 and reopen at 18:30 only for those who booked the program.
• * Please come to the venue by 19:00, starting time of the performance.
• * Seats are unreserved (free seating).
• * At the venue, viewers will be seated on the floor (no chairs). Please participate with casual clothes.
• * Temperature and relative humidity are controlled in galleries for the conservation of artworks. It would be well-advised to bring a jacket or a pull-over of the sort upon visiting in case you might feel cold in the galleries.
• * During the program, please note that the museum take photos/movies in purpose of documentation.

Mori Art Museum / Asahi Gakusei Shimbun Collaborative Program
"Kids Newspaper Project: Kid Reporters Scoop!" * Conducted in Japanese

This is a program for children of open and free discussion on various topics with their own perspectives after viewing the exhibition together. They will then learn how to interview, actually undertake interviews with staff members involved in the exhibition organization, and finally try and make "Kids Newspaper."

Gallery Talks (Japanese)

Talks by museum staff conducted in a gallery-tour format.

Gallery Talks (English)

Gallery tour by museum staff in English.

School-Museum Program * Conducted in Japanese

After making brief introduction of the exhibition, members of the museum staff engage in discussion on the subject of children and art with schoolteachers. Teachers from all disciplines - not only arts and/or crafts – welcome.

Baby Stroller Tours

A tour for guardians with small children in strollers. You are welcome to bring a stroller into the exhibition.

Parent-Child Dialogue Tour

Parents join children in the process of acquiring language skills on a tour through the galleries. Enjoy the exhibition together with your children, viewing art from their perspective.

Verbal Imaging Tour

A tour in which the visually impaired can explore the exhibition through dialogue with museum staff.

Sign Language Tour

A tour for enjoying the exhibition using the Japanese sign language and words. Open to those who don't use sign language, too.