jollygoo

Showing posts with label museum_gallery. Show all posts

Hara Museum of Contemporary Art

Sunday, 23 August 2009

原美術館。
Hara Museum in Shinagawa is one of my favourite museums in the world. It's not one of the major museums in Tokyo, it's small but tasteful and is like a hidden treasure box, or that's how I think of it.

This Bauhaus-inspired architecture was designed in 1938 by Jin Watanabe who was one of the leading architects in the Showa period. It was originally a residence of Mr Hara, a businessman and art collector, and was turned into a private Museum in 1979 by his grandson.

Hara Museum showcases the latest developments in contemporary art and design including architecture, music and dance.

It has a really charming cafe overlooking a courtyard, which makes me love this museum more! Unfortunately like most Japanese museums no photographs are allowed inside the building so the top three photos are mine taken from outside and the bottom two are from their website.

Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
4-7-25 Kitashinagawa Shinagawa-ku Tokyo (google map)
5 mins by taxi or 15 mins on foot from JR Shinagawa Station Takanawa Exit.

Comments: 9

New Lens and Frida.

Monday, 10 August 2009

I got a new lens for my SLR and these are some of my experimental shots from when I went to see an exhibition "Masterpieces of Modern Mexican Painting" at Setagaya Art Museum which is located right next to a park. The exhibition, though not so big, was quite interesting. Frida Kahlo is one of my favourite artists, and her "Self-Portrait in Medallion" was the feature of this exhibition and was just amazing. So powerful and I felt as if it was speaking to me something she could not put in words. Oh I'd love to go visit Museo Frida Kahlo in Mexico! Has anyone been there?

Comments: 6

Trip to Kanazawa #03: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art

Thursday, 25 June 2009

Ever since this museum opened in 2004 I've been longing to see it. After 5 years finally I got there, it was fantastic! And yes this was the main purpose of my Kanazawa trip.

I kept going back to my favourite James Turrell's "blue planet sky".

Famous "swimming pool" by Leandro Erlich was fun!

I just loved walking around and around taking photos in the round shaped museum building, enjoyed the transition of the scenery as the time passes by, it was so beautiful.

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Architecture by SANAA
On Fridays and Saturdays they open till 8pm (other days close at 6), i think it's best to visit there in the late afternoon (if in summer around 5pm while the sun is still pretty bright) and stay untill the evening on Friday which I did!

I found a good movie about the "swimming pool" on Youtube:

Comments: 12

Tokyo Osusume Spot : The National Art Center Tokyo

Thursday, 21 May 2009

"OSUSUME" means recommended. The National Art Center Tokyo in roppongi is one of the OSUSUME spots in Tokyo. I sometimes visit there for lunch (Brasserie Paul Bocuse Le Musée on the 3rd floor is excellent!) and then go downstairs for browsing the museum shop "SOUVENIR FROM TOKYO" (you would love this shop!!), and of course take pictures - it's a great place for it :) It's a museum but often I don't actually see the exhibition there, there is so much more to this place! You can just pick your favourite designer chair which are found throughout the place and sit down for a quiet time if you get tired walking around, my favourite is the Egg Chair found downstairs.
Great architecture, too.

Comments: 6

Naoshima - an "art island"

Monday, 20 April 2009

Naoshima is a small island of Kagawa prefecture in Japan which has been promoted as an "art island". It surely is an island full of art and is a really interesting place to visit. You will be greeted by a huge red "pumpkin" - a sculpture by Yayoi Kusama, and the Minamidera House project "Backside of the Moon" by James Turrell and the Chichu Art Museum by Tadao Ando are the must-sees. (They don't let us take photos of the museum even from the outside so here are some images from the museum catalogue)