21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa

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Collection Special Exhibition + Communication Program

NARA Yoshitomo ―Dog-o-rama

2023.4.29(Sat.) - 2023.9.18(Mon.)

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Information

Period:

2023.4.29(Sat.) - 2023.9.18(Mon.)
10:00-18:00（until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays）

Venue:

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Gallery 13

Closed：

Mondays (except July 17, September 18), May 14, July 18

Admission：

Free

For More Information：

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
Phone: +81-76-220-2800
E-Mail: info@kanazawa21.jp

This exhibition presents Yoshitomo Nara’s Dog-o-rama, Lonely Moon/Voyage of the Moon, and a group of drawings on display for the first time since their acquisition. All of these works were created as part of Nara’s exhibition “Moonlight Serenade” (2006-2007), which was conceived on the premise of the museum’s “open” function. Dog-o-rama is a project-type work created by a dog, an important motif for Nara. It consists of Pup Patrol, a project that expands the world of the museum as children in dog costumes tour the museum, and Pup Up the Dog, which completes the giant 7-meter-long stuffed animal, Pup King, filled with old clothes and other fabrics brought in by people. Dog-o-rama will provide visitors with an opportunity to participate in the work and experience the world of Nara’s artworks within the entire space, including drawings and plate paintings, as well as to reconsider how one might appreciate artworks in museums through the activities of children dressed as dogs.

Artist’s Profile

  • NARA Yoshitomo

    Born in Aomori, Japan in 1959. Lives and works in Tochigi.
    After completing a Master’s degree at Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music, Nara Yoshitomo moved to Germany in 1988 and in 1993 completed the Meisterschüler program at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Basing himself in Cologne, he began receiving international acclaim for his paintings, drawings, three-dimensional works, and installations that feature sulky-looking children and animals. In 2000, Nara returned to Japan, where he has been based since. Aside from his exhibitions, he has been involved in an assortment of projects in other media, such as picture books, CD jackets, and product design, and also had a long-running collaborative relationship with artist TOYOSHIMA Hideki between 2003 and 2010. In recent years, he has also been producing sculptures in ceramic and bronze.

Descriptions of works

  • NARA Yoshitomo, Lonely Moon/Voyage of the Moon, 2006
    Collection: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
    ©️Yoshitomo Nara
    photo: SAIKI Taku

    In Lonely Moon/Voyage of the Moon, the entire plate-shaped support has the three-dimensionality and materiality of an image of the moon, while the multilayered colors imbue the image with the fluidity of a mental picture. The calm and measured expression of these eyes is a reflection of the universe.
    Dog-o-rama consists of two projects: Pup Patrol, in which the world of the work expands as children in dog costumes tour the museum, and Pup Up the Dog, a seven-meter-long stuffed animal made of old clothes and other fabrics brought in by the public.
    A set of Drawings made for “Yoshitomo Nara: Moonlight Serenade” (22 works) were drawn by Nara during the planning stages of his solo exhibition, which was conceived on the premise of the museum’s “open” function, and they reflect his vision of incorporating this functionality and spatial character into his work.

  • Pup Patrol

    Let’s put on a dog costume designed by Yoshitomo Nara and patrol the museum!
    What kind of places are there? What do you smell? What sounds can you hear? Let’s look around the museum as if you were a puppy!

    [How to participate]
    Venue: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Exhibition Gallery 13
    Date and time: Every Saturday
    [1] 11am, [2] 1:30pm, [3] 3pm (each session lasts about 1 hour)
    Number of participants: About 10 people per session on a first-come, first-served basis
    Target age group: From 4 years old up to 6th grade elementary school students
    *Please be sure to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
    Fee: Free of charge
    Registration/Reservations: Reservations accepted at the venue from 10:30 a.m.
    (same-day registration only)

  • Pup Up the Dog

    A big dog is dozing in the exhibition gallery. He’s thin, and seems to be feeling a little down. With your help, let’s make this big dog healthy again!

    [How to participate]
    Please bring your old clothes or pieces of cloth and fabric that you have lying around at home, or mail them to us.
    We will use them as stuffing for the dogs during the exhibition.

    [A note about old clothes]
    Please make sure that the clothes have been washed.
    *Please do not bring underwear, hard materials, large items such as carpets or rugs, or items that are dirty or smell.
    *Please note that we will not be able to return any items.

    [How to bring or mail items]
    *Mailing costs are to be borne by those who participate in the event.
    -For those bringing their own items
    Date and time: Every Saturday 11:00-16:00
    Venue: 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, Exhibition Gallery 13
    -For those sending by mail
    Mailing address: 1-2-1 Hirosaka, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8509 Japan
    21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa
    Pup Up the Dog staff

Credit

Organized by：

21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (Kanazawa Art Promotion and Development Foundation)

Patronized by：

THE HOKKOKU SHIMBUN