This weekend, it’s all about cultural inspiration, from the eagerly anticipated exhibition showcasing works from the Louvre to an exhibition offering insight into the intriguing world of contemporary artist Nobuko Tsuchiya. We’ve also thrown in a beer garden and a music fest for the more hedonistic weekender, and an iris festival for those in need of a bit of nature. As always, click on the header of each event for more details.
The Art of Portraiture in the Louvre Collections
This eagerly anticipated grand exhibition brings 110 treasures from the collection of France’s most famous museum to Tokyo. Exploring the history of portraiture through the works of various cultures in selected themes, exhibits include masks, busts, sculptures, and paintings. Exhibition highlights include Antoine-Jean Gros’s portrait of Napoleon and Angèle Dequier’s Portrait of a Venetian woman known as The Beautiful Nani.
France in Midtown
To celebrate the Louvre exhibition at The National Art Centre Tokyo (above), a variety of special goods and attractions can be discovered at Tokyo Midtown. Delight in a range of delicious desserts and special menu items available from various patisseries, cafes, and restaurants in addition to stylish goods and sundries from select stores. You can even book a portrait session at a photography studio and become your own artistic masterpiece!
Hilda Palafox: From Mexico to Japan
Artist Hilda Palafox lives and works in Mexico City. Her work explores nature and femininity in motion, revealing a continuous search for the unknown. At Instituto Cervantes in Chiyoda-ku, she will present the pieces resulting from her recent residency in Onomichi, Hiroshima Prefecture. Aside from what will be on display, mural paintings are also central to her art, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled next time you explore Tokyo’s urban landscape.
Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo “Noh” Event
During the month of June, Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo will host a special exhibition of the Japanese traditional performing art known as “Noh”. The exhibition is held in cooperation with The National Noh Theatre to commemorate the theatre’s 35th anniversary, which will be celebrated later this year. As part of the exhibition, various art items related to Noh, including traditional carved wooden masks, intricately woven costumes, and other artistic props, will be on display in the hotel’s 3F art lobby.
Katsushika Iris Festival 2018
Famous for being featured in the woodblock prints of Hiroshige Ando and Toyokuni Utagawa, the yearly Katsushika Iris Festival held in Tokyo’s Katsushika City is a sight to behold. With over 6,000 flowers in Horikiri Shobuen Garden, and over 14,000 in Mizumoto Park, the sea of purple will make you feel transported into a world so close yet so far from the city.
Amuse Fes in Makuhari 2018 Chiba
Originally based in Shizuoka, this pop music party moved to Makuhari last year after a two-year hiatus. Pop princesses Perfume, as well as FLOW, Yu Takahashi, and Porno Graffitti will perform. Also performing will be an exclusive special session band featuring members from Flumpool, Weaver, and more.
Forest Beer Garden
The popular long-running beer garden just a few minutes from JR Shinanomachi station opens up for its summer season! Offering various all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink and a la carte menus, visitors can quench their thirst from a selection of beverages including draft and craft beers, wine, cocktails, and soft drinks. Meat lovers will be satisfied with a choice of BBQ and Genghis Khan (grilled lamb).
Nobuko Tsuchiya “30 Ways To Go To The Moon”
Contemporary artist Nobuko Tsuchiya’s latest installation takes over SCAI The Bathhouse gallery offering another glimpse of her fictional world. Utilizing a curious mix of scientific equipment, tactile materials and various ephemera, the artist explores the depths of her imagination and presents unique assemblages which are both humorous and stimulating. This intriguing work is a part of the artist’s ongoing practice as a form of liberation, devoid of all preconceptions, her work sparks connections to the mind and memories, simultaneously referencing old science fiction and unknown futures.
