The Tadanori Yokoo Museum of Contemporary Art 横尾忠則現代美術館
Discovering the works of Tadanori Yokoo
Fans of contemporary art and Pop art will be delighted: in Kobe there is a museum entirely dedicated to the work of Japanese artist Tadanori Yokoo, considered the Asian Andy Warhol. Short guided tour.
The artist and his work
Now-Tokyo artist Tadanori Yokoo (横尾忠則) was born in 1936 in Nishiwaki , in the same prefecture as Kobe . This graphic artist, visual artist and painter, began his career as a graphic designer in Tokyo in the 1960s. Very quickly, he created his own posters, strongly influenced by pop art. A major Japanese artist on the global contemporary art scene , he paved the way for renowned artists such as Takashi Murakami .
His posters mix various techniques and influences, at the crossroads between Japanese heritage and American influences . Collage, drawing, ukiyo-e (Japanese print) mingle in psychedelic and colorful works , where the color red is omnipresent.
Yokoo denounces as much as it illustrates the unbridled economic development of Japan in the 60s and 70s , cheerfully mixing the codes of Japanese and American consumer society, juxtaposing samurai icons with Coca-Cola logos, crossing images of Mount Fuji and Pin-up blondes.
- To discover: Japanese pop culture
Works in the rooms of the museum
Flickr Yuya Tamai
Works exhibited in the rooms
Flickr Yuya Tamai
He borrows an extravagant imagination from Francis Picabia and the Surrealists , as well as technical influences from Hokusai and Hiroshige .
Tadanori Yokoo started painting in the 1980s , after collaborating with artists such as Issey Miyake. He then produced colorful works, remaining in the same spirit of eclecticism, mixing fine art and commercial art, Eastern and Western imagery . His paintings also mix figurative art and abstract art , between Pop art and Dadaist influences. His trademark ? The rays of the rising sun , very often red, omnipresent in his works.
Installations in the rooms of the museum
Wikimedia Commons
The museum in Kobe
The museum is thus dedicated to the work of this major Japanese artist. It opened in 2012, in a renovated wing of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Modern Art.
The collection, made up of more than 3,000 works acquired mainly through donations from the artist himself, presents an exhaustive image of his career. Paintings, collages, posters, sculptures, prints, videos and books are kept in this huge collection, unparalleled in the country and in the world.
The collection background being immense, the works presented in the room change about three times a year , according to a global theme. Note that depending on the current exhibition, the price of the admission ticket varies.
In 2019, the theme of the summer will be centered around the humor present in the work of Tadanori Yokoo, and its enigmatic and spiritual role. Then, at the end of the year, there will be a major exhibition entitled " Yokoo seen by Yokoo" , organized by the artist himself.
In 2020, the works presented will then revolve around the concept of body and flesh in his work.
The documentary fund and archives of the museum
feel kobe
The souvenir shop
Wikimedia Commons
Finally, the museum includes an archive room listing a number of documents concerning the visual artist, as well as a beautiful souvenir shop .
Address, timetable & access
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Address
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Phone
+81 (0)78-855-5607 -
Timetable
Get off at Oji-koen station on the Hankyu line, or JR Nada station. -
Price
Depending on the exposure. -
Access
Open Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. -
Website
http://www.ytmoca.jp/english/en_guidance.html
