This database is a comprehensive collection of articles from Nihon bijutsu nenkan (Year Book of
Japanese Art), published by the Tokyo National Institute for Cultural Properties (Tobunken).
On February 11, the exhibition titled ‘Murayama Tomoyoshi: Get All of Me Seething’ opened at the Museum of Modern Art, Hayama (until March 25). It was the first large-scale solo exhibition to introduce the versality of MURAYAMA Tomoyoshi. Known as ‘da Vinci of Japan’, he was involved in plastic arts, dance performances, stage sets, architectural planning and design, as well as writing plays, novels and critiques from the late Taishō to the early Shōwa periods. The exhibition travelled to the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto (April 7 – May 13), the Takamatsu Art Museum (May 26 – July 1) and the Setagaya Art Museum (July 14 – September 2). (Japanese)
On February 8, Chou Kung-shin, Director of the National Palace Museum, Taipei, conferred with SHIMATANI Hiroyuki, Deputy Director of the Tokyo National Museum, and reached basic agreement that an exhibition of artworks from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, would be held at the Tokyo National Museum in 2014. As the majority of the museum’s artworks were originally located in Beijing, there was a possibility that the Chinese government would seize them if an exhibition of artworks from the National Palace Museum, Taipei, was held in Japan. However, following the enforcement of the Act on Facilitation for Exhibiting Overseas Works of Art, etc. to the Public in Japan in September 2011, which prohibits third parties from seizing artworks on loan from overseas, the plan was launched in earnest. In May, it was also agreed in principle that the exhibition would tour to the Kyushu National Museum after it was held at the Tokyo National Museum. (Japanese)
The winners of the VOCA Prize, which encourages young artists who create two-dimensional artworks, were announced. The Grand Prize of the VOCA was given to SUZUKI Seia (‘E ga miru sekai 11_03’). KUWAKUBO Tōru and TAKESUE Kōichirō jointly received the VOCA Encouragement Prize. OHNARI Tets and KASHIHARA Yuka jointly received the VOCA Honorable Mention Prize. KASHIHARA Yuka also received the Ohara Museum Art Prize. The VOCA exhibition 2012, where the winners’ works were exhibited, was held at the Ueno Royal Museum in Tokyo from March 15 to March 30 in 2012. (Japanese)
On January 2, the special exhibition titled ‘Two Hundred Selected Masterpieces from the Palace Museum, Beijing’ opened at the Tokyo National Museum to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China (until February 19). The exhibition displayed 200 masterpieces from the collection of the Palace Museum, Beijing. It included a handscroll ‘Life along the Bian River at the Qingming Festival’ by Zhang Zeduan from the Northern Song Dynasty, which attracted much attention since it was the first time it had been shown outside China. (Japanese)
The winners of the 53rd Mainichi Art Award (sponsored by the Mainichi Newspapers Co.), the annual award given to outstanding individuals in art and culture, were announced. In relation to art, the award was given to architect BAN Shigeru for his exploration of new architecture on paper and its use in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake; painter KIKUHATA Mokuma for his exhibition titled ‘KIKUHATA Mokuma Postwar/Paintings’, held at the Fukuoka Art Museum and Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum; and calligrapher ISHITOBI Hakkō for his exhibition titled ‘ISHITOBI Hakkō sho ten 2011’. (Japanese)
The recipients of the Asahi Prize for the fiscal year 2011 (sponsored by the Asahi Shimbun Foundation) were announced. In relation to art, artist YOKOO Tadanori received the prize for ‘creating innovative graphic designs and paintings that always resonate with the times.’ (Japanese)
