Exploring “Regional Art Studies” Through the Chubu Nippon Art Exhibition and Prefectural Exhibitions — Seminar Held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems

　On June 25, 2026, a seminar was held at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems. Aiming to clarify the role and actual state of local open-call exhibitions in the postwar period, this seminar invited Mr. ISHIZAKI Takashi, Senior Curator at the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, was invited to this seminar and he delivered a presentation titled “The Chubu Nippon Art Exhibition and Research on Prefectural Exhibitions.”

　In his presentation, Mr. ISHIZAKI first reported on the historical role played by the Chubu Nippon Art Exhibition (Chubi-ten), an open-call exhibition held in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, from 1947 to 1956. Initiated with the goals of showcasing postwar reconstruction and establishing a unique regional culture in the Chubu region, Chubi-ten left an important footprint in regional art history; alongside a parallel campaign for museum construction, it led to the birth of the Aichi Cultural Center Art Museum, the predecessor of the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art. Meanwhile, recognizing that the lack of primary sources—including exhibition catalogues—had been a major barrier to research, Mr. ISHIZAKI shared the progress of the archival survey he had been conducting. Furthermore, he emphasized the significance of re-examining local open-call exhibitions and prefectural exhibitions (kenten)—which have often been viewed merely as “imitations” or “mini-salons” of central art organization exhibitions—from the perspective of providing specific details. He presented a highly suggestive proposition: such empirical, bottom-up approaches can unravel the Tokyo-centric narrative of art history, leading to the “decentralization of art history” and bringing the autonomy of regional art to light.

　This seminar was also attended by 14 participants from outside the Department (both in person and online), including specialists in modern and contemporary art and curators from the Kanto and Chubu regions. In the second half, during the discussion and information exchange session moderated by Mr. KIKKAWA Hideki, participants engaged in a multifaceted discussion. Topics included how to re-examine prefectural exhibitions with their diverse origins and operational models, methods for developing primary sources and insights gained from surveys into a foundation for art history research, and the unique difficulties of studying ongoing prefectural exhibitions. Triggered by this seminar, discussions toward collaborative research have already begun among participating researchers, marking a steady step toward sustainable research cooperation in the future.