Image Narratives: Literature in Japanese Contemporary Art

Image Narratives: Literature in Japanese Contemporary Art
28.08.2019 - 11.11.2019

This group exhibition features six Japanese contemporary artists, who are active both inside and outside the country. In addition to being born over a broad span of time, from the 1950s to the 1980s, the artists make use of a diverse range of expressive methods, including installations that incorporate videos and photographs.

Common to all of the artists’ work is the notable presence of literary elements. The phrase, “Ut pictura poesis” (As is painting, so is poetry), derived from the ancient Roman poet Horace’s Ars Poetica (The Art of Poetry), is frequently cited as proof for the close relationship between the artistic genres of poetry and painting. Discussions on the affinity between literary arts, such as poetry and prose, and visual arts, such as painting and sculpture, have been undertaken in a variety of ages and places.

As the title suggests, the theme of this exhibition is literature. But in this case, the word does not refer to literature as an artistic genre - i.e., literary works that take the form of a book. Rather, it indicates narratives made up of images that exist within the context of contemporary art. We hope that you will enjoy experiencing the wide array of literary expressions in Japanese contemporary art.