Text: Akiko Inoue Photo: Masamasa Nishino Release date: 2015.10.15
As of March 2016, the Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Modern Art Kamakura will end its long history as an art museum. The museum is Japan's first public museum of modern art, and is also known as a representative building of Japanese modern architecture, and has been affectionately known as "Kamakin."
According to the original contract, the building was scheduled to be demolished, but many citizens who loved the Kamakura building and those involved in the construction industry opposed it, and it was recently decided that the main building would be preserved. In the future, discussions between Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, which owns the site, and Kanagawa Prefecture are said to be progressing in the direction of handing over the operation of the building to Hachiman Shrine, but there are some details that cannot be determined at this point, including the specific method of use. There are many. In such an uncertain future, the current exhibition "Beginning with Kamakura. 1951-2016" is the last opportunity to view the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in the architectural space of the Kamakura Museum. One thing is certain.
The exhibition is divided into three parts, Parts 1 to 3, and goes back from 2016 to 1951, when the museum first opened, and introduces collections that symbolize the era. I immediately interviewed ``PART2 1966-1984: The Museum of Modern Art Communicate''.
A space where everything is in harmony
The old Kamakura building, completed in 1951, is the masterpiece of world-famous architect Junzo Sakakura. Observing the building and reminiscing about 64 years ago may be one of the pleasures here. You can also get a glimpse of the architectural situation at the time, just after the war, and the influence of Le Corbusier, who had a close relationship with his teacher and student.
The reason Mr. Sakakura is said to have followed Le Corbusier's concept of a ``museum of infinite growth'' in the Kamakura Pavilion lies in the rectangular architectural structure surrounding the courtyard. Looking at the photo of the entrance, you can see that it was designed so that it can be approached from both the first and second floors, as well as from either the left or right side of each floor. On the first floor, any exhibition room can lead back to the atrium courtyard that is the center of the building, and on the second floor, a curved line of flow has been realized that wraps around the courtyard. The design was designed to allow for expansion as the collection increased over time, and it seems like it sends a message about the importance of museums from the early post-war period to the present day.
Kamakurakan is a compact two-story building, and even those who are used to visiting art museums will be surprised by its structural charm. This is because the aforementioned courtyard is open to the sky, and the south side of the building is a semi-outdoor space that faces Heike Pond and the town of Kamakura. Enjoying the view while enjoying the natural light, the sound of the trees rustling, and the smells carried by the wind is a pleasant experience that can only be experienced here. Just like buildings, works naturally change their appearance depending on the natural environment, such as rain, wind, and sunlight.
<img alt="The piloti overlooking Heike Pond was also the setting for the movie "Norwegian Wood." Although it is difficult to see in the photo, Rei Naito, who opened the classic in 2009-2010, is now on permanent display. Please don't miss this one as well (the work with thin beads that can be seen faintly in the center of the photo) class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-19055″ height=”383″ src=”http:// magcul.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/963169fdc7b0504e600a08da553d45de.jpg” width=”500″>
Surprisingly, when the museum first opened, there was a skylight on the roof, allowing natural light to enter the exhibition rooms on the second floor. Currently, indoor lighting is used, but it can be seen that the building has kept pace with the times, even with some modifications.
And there are many other things you can't miss.
The finale will be...
If you would like to know more about the charm of Kamakurakan, please be sure to visit "Started with Kamakura. 1951-2016". PART 3, starting October 17th (Saturday), will be packed with projects that will introduce numerous episodes and trivia from various aspects that are proportional to the length of its history. Works by Harue Koga and Shunsuke Matsumoto, with whom the museum has a deep connection, will be unveiled for the first time, and an event will also be held where the screen in the courtyard that was installed when the museum first opened will be revived to project works by Hitoshi Toyoda and Hisashi Ishida. Also, Takehisa Kosugi, who held a solo exhibition in 2002, will perform a concert with Kiyoshi Izumi. In addition, there will be a talk by architect Jun Aoki, lectures by invited celebrities from various fields such as Anna Ogino and Lee Ufan, and it looks like it will be a perfect finale to the exhibition.
During the week from November 17th (Tuesday) to November 23rd (holiday), which is Kamakurakan's birthday, the building will be lit up, talks by old and new curators, and a public photo exhibition titled "Kamakurakan and I" will be held. Ru.
I would like to conclude this report with the hope that Kamakurakan will have a lively finale at the end of its long history.
“Started in Kamakura. 1951-2016 PART3 1951-1965 Birth of the Kamakura Museum of Modern Art”
(2015.10.17 - 2016.1.31) and details of various events, please see the list of related events below.
