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From Picasso to Warhol. “Trialogue” exhibition where the “collections” of three museums resonate together

ピカソからウォーホルまで。3館の“コレクション”が響き合う「トライアローグ」展

When the "visit of famous works by Monet, Renoir, etc." is introduced in the media, the feeling of "Let's go to the museum!" gets excited. The "Trialogue" exhibition currently being held at the Yokohama Museum of Art (until Sunday, February 28, 2021) feels a little lonely, perhaps because of the coronavirus pandemic, and that there are no such "centerpiece" works. I did.

However!

When you actually go there, you'll see a wide selection of famous works by Picasso, Warhol, and more! This project was apparently born out of the idea that public museums in Yokohama, Aichi, and Toyama would "bring together" works from their respective collections. I used to think of museums as ``places to go to see exhibitions,'' but perhaps their role is also to gather these collections and tell people how to view and enjoy them...
We asked Shintaro Matsunaga, chief curator of the Yokohama Museum of Art, to answer these simple questions.

There is an image that a museum is a place where you go to see exhibitions.

That image may indeed be strong. In fact, many Japanese art museums are busy holding ``special exhibitions'' several times a year that borrow large works, and their own collections are displayed as a ``permanent exhibition (collection exhibition)'' as a bonus. There are aspects that flow. However, this may be a situation unique to Japan.
For example, the Louvre Museum and the Musée d'Orsay have wonderful collections no matter when you visit them, so you don't have the idea of just going to see a special exhibition. However, in the case of Japanese museums, in most cases, the collections in their own museums alone are not sufficient in terms of both quality and quantity to satisfy visitors. Therefore, in order to meet everyone's expectations, emphasis is placed on special exhibitions that borrow masterpieces.

What kind of work is required at museums other than exhibitions?

Of course, planning and managing exhibitions is part of the museum's job, but the core of the museum is the collection of works. We follow the flow of art history, collect works that should be preserved for the future, and pass them on to the next generation. In other words, the collections can be said to be the identity of the museum. It is the curator's job to investigate and research the collected works, and an exhibition can essentially be seen as a place to present the results.

This "Trialogue" exhibition was made possible because the three museums have similar concepts for collecting works.

That's right. If a single museum's collection alone is not appealing enough, why not collaborate with other museums that collect collections based on a similar concept? That was the origin of this project. When I reviewed domestic resources in order to hold an attractive exhibition within a limited budget, the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art and the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art caught my attention. Since both museums have the same collection guidelines as the Yokohama Museum of Art, I believe that if the three museums join forces, they will be able to complement each other's areas and help us understand 20th century Western art. With that in mind, I approached him and he readily agreed.

For example, Pablo Picasso's "Woman Sleeping in an Armchair" (1927) is one of the "faces" of our museum, while "Woman with a Blue Shoulder" (1902), housed in the Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art, and Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art, When placed side by side with ``Woman in an Armchair'' (1923) and ``Woman Sitting'' (1960), which depict women from different eras, a different world appears.
Also, when we talk about Juan Miró at this museum, it is ``Flowers and Butterflies'' (1922-23), but for Aichi it is ``Painting'' (1925), and for Toyama it is ``Man Smoking a Pipe'' (1925). Milo”. For repeat visitors to the Yokohama Museum of Art, the style is so different that it makes you wonder, ``Huh?'' However, by displaying these three works side by side, you can see the dramatic changes in Miro's painting career over just a few years, and I think you will be able to enjoy familiar works from a new perspective.

It seems likely that there will be more “collaborations” between domestic museums in the future.

of course. There are 20 museums that could hold interesting exhibitions by matching our collection, so the combinations are endless. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it is difficult to borrow works from overseas, but I think we will see an increase in the number of projects in which domestic museums collaborate in order to make use of their own collections.

The Yokohama Museum of Art has a collection of approximately 13,000 items, but it does not make full use of them, and unfortunately there are items that have not been thoroughly researched or that have no opportunity to be exhibited. It is a fact. It goes without saying that it is important for us curators to deepen our research on artists and works in order to utilize our important collections. At the "Trialogue" exhibition, we not only brought works from each other's collections to display, but it was also a good opportunity to deepen our research and research by including works from other museums.

After the "Trialogue" exhibition closes, the Yokohama Museum of Art will be closed for over two years for large-scale renovation work. In the meantime, what are curators doing?

I mentioned earlier that ``exhibitions are one of the jobs of museums,'' but in reality, the situation is that they are doing their best by holding about four exhibitions a year, and there is not enough time to research and research the collection. I couldn't crack it. In that sense, being closed for more than two years is a rare opportunity, so I would like to do something that I haven't been able to do before. It's a chance to increase your knowledge through training at an outside museum, and it would be great if you could review your museum's collection and build a new perspective.
Please look forward to the reopening!

trialogue
Yokohama Museum of Art , Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art , Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art
20th Century Western Art Collection
[Duration] November 14th (Sat) - February 28th, 2021 (Sunday)
[Opening hours] 10:00-18:00 (Admission until 17:30)
[Venue] Yokohama Museum of Art
[Closed] Thursdays (excluding February 11th), December 29th (Tuesday) to January 3rd (Sunday), February 12th (Friday), 2021
[Fee] General ¥1,500 / University and vocational school students ¥1,100 / Junior high and high school students ¥500 / Over 65 years old (certificate required) ¥1,400 / Elementary school students and under free / Persons with a disability certificate and caregivers (1 Name) Free
*Reservation required by date and time
[Inquiries] 045-221-0300 (Yokohama Museum of Art)

* Please check this out for details.

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Applications for this gift have ended. Thank you for your many applications.

[Gift application summary]
We will be giving away tickets to 5 groups of 10 people for the "Trialogue" exhibition currently being held at the Yokohama Museum of Art (until Sunday, February 28, 2021).

【Application method】
If you are interested, please apply using the application form below. We look forward to receiving your applications.

[Application deadline]
Until 23:59 on Wednesday, December 23rd

[Lottery/Winner Announcement]
The announcement of the winners will be made by shipping the tickets. (It will be mailed by the Kanagawa Prefectural Culture Division.)
*If the ticket cannot be delivered to the winner due to unknown address, etc., the winner will be invalidated.
*The personal information you provide will not be used for any purpose other than the lottery.

*This exhibition requires online reservations by specifying the date and time. Even if you have an invitation ticket, you will need to specify the date and time online.
Please check the special website for reservations and other details.

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