Gardens and Whispers · Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
KOU Kana - YOSHIDA Kana - A Secret of Hanasuwa Island - 2013
From 19 March to 19 June 2022, the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo presents a new art exhibition in two sections "Garden of Light" and " Continuing Whispers".
Source: Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo. Image: KOU Kana , "A Secret of Hanasuwa Island", 2013, Private collection, Installation view, Setouchi Triennale, Shodoshima, 2013-2019 Photo: Yasushi Ichikawa
The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, one of Asia's leading contemporary art museums with a collection exceeding 5,500 works, presents a new installment of the "MOT Collection" exhibition series, in which artworks from the collection are arranged differently, allowing for new viewpoints and interpretations. In "Garden of Light / Continuing Whispers", the works on display are organised in two sections, which the museum explains in a press release:
The first section (first floor) titled “Garden of Light” likens artworks to gardens, inviting viewers to gaze upon and stroll through the worlds that unfold within. Gardens are created by planting vegetation, or building mountains and ponds within empty and unoccupied plots of land. If a canvas or piece of paper is perceived as an empty plot of land, by what means do artists create and develop their work? Just as a garden shows various expressions depending on the seasons and changes in nature, artworks may be regarded as manifestations of an attempt to capture these fleeting moments through the artist’s own hand. Upon venturing into and exploring the works, viewers may find themselves coming across unexpected sights and scenes like never seen before. This exhibit centers on paintings by artists such as NAKANISHI Natsuyuki, ISHIKAWA Yukie, and SUZUKI Hiraku
The second section (third floor) titled “Continuing Whispers” encourages us to open our ears and listen carefully to the various voices that are emitted from the works. Even works that seemingly have no element of sound or voice quietly stir the emotions of those who view them, as people’s presence, voices, and personal thoughts are evoked though the figures and faces depicted, as well as their appearance and demeanor. In addition to the work of FUNAKOSHI Katsura from which the title of this section is derived, the works of Christian BOLTANSKI, Apichatpong WEERASETHAKUL, and FUKUDA Naoyo, and print works by KOMAI Tetsuro and HIWASAKI Takao among others, welcome viewers to embrace this space where a diverse multitude of voice overlap and coalesce.

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