A mixture of time and space, “THE WORLD OF UKIYO-E” event report

The other day, “THE WORLD OF UKIYO-E” was held at the Ueno Royal Museum of Art (Tokyo). The concept is an interface space connecting the present day with the world depicted in Ukiyo-e. Contemporary art brought to light a universal sensibility that exists across the ages, and it has become a space where visitors can freely move back and forth between their current isolated lives and Edo culture.

The whole is one expression

Many real woodblock prints and elaborate installations were exhibited in this exhibition. This exhibition, which not only appreciates but also “experiences,” made visitors keenly aware of the worldview that flows throughout the space and combines feelings from the ancients with the sensitivities of us living in the present.

An intuitive image of Hokusai's workplace expressed on Japanese paper, ink, and images. Hokusai lived by drawing pictures to his heart's content. I'm going to draw a picture using projection mapping on the blank Japanese paper I'm about to draw. The visitors sat on benches and watched with interest the four seasons as the pictures were drawn. The artists who shaped this exhibition also feel respect and familiarity with Hokusai as the same artists in different times. Also, the things that appear in everyday life at the time, which Hokusai drew in detail, give us a glimpse of things that do not change even when exposed to vast amounts of time, the beauty of a single iris flower and the ephemeral changes of the seasons.

A spectacular performance performed in front of the large screen with 36 views of Mt. Fuji. The entire space became a space for one work, and the dancers' supple movements and orchestral instrument performances were integrated to create an intense moment where you can feel the subtlety of the equinox.

The exhibition above the dancers' heads is an expression using wood and silk thread, and the theme is to consider the nature of Ukiyo-e. Ukiyo-e isn't complete with just one element, and Ukiyo-e isn't complete even if you just collect elements. The kanji for the names of famous painters fell apart, and the appearance of each component part that you are not usually aware of was highlighted, and it had a unique sense of serenity.

In the folding demonstration, while answering the questions of the gathered people, the surimist added color to the plate, and the scene was bustling, as if recreating an Edo street corner. Demonstrations by modern craftsmen, surfers were very popular, and visitors were impressed when they saw casually stacked woodblock prints and the multi-color printing process where multiple sheets were layered.

This exhibition reveals the sophisticated and stylish aspect of Ukiyo-e and its universality that never changes with the times. Additionally, the space created by artists from various fields came to life through the experiences of individual visitors, and it was an exhibition where you could see the creation of a new sensibility as various contours were blurred.

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