Special Exhibition: "Masters of 20th Century Art from the Ohara Museum Collection♡ Warhol, Rothko, Lichtenstein"

Exhibition Place:  Nakanoshima Kosetsu Museum of Art

Exhibition Period:January 18 (Sat) – April 6 (Sun), 2025

Exhibition Hours:10:00～17:00

* ast admission time:(Last admission time: 16:30)

Closed:Mondays

Entrance Fee: 

adults: 1,600yen、High school and university students:800yen、Elementary and junior high school students: 400yen 

Introduce:

It is often said that 20th-century art is difficult to understand in terms of what is being depicted. But is that really the case?

The 20th century, often called the "century of refugees" due to its tumultuous wars, saw many artists forced to leave their familiar lands and relocate. Particularly those who moved to America, artists who pushed forward with abstract expression explored new forms of art like Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, and Minimalism. However, at the same time, the loneliness and alienation of living in a foreign land led them to constantly question "Who am I?" and "What is art?"—deep questions that didn’t have easy answers.

This was further compounded by the mass production and consumption of capitalist society. For example, after Marilyn Monroe’s sudden death in 1962, Andy Warhol frequently used her as a subject for his works. However, we must not overlook the inner struggles of the great actress that were etched into her death. The conflict between the self she wished to be and the seductive woman she was forced to play for consumer society. It was perhaps this very struggle that led Warhol to express the following words: "If you want to know all about Andy Warhol (…), just look at the surface. I am there. There is nothing behind it."

Rather than overthinking it, let us begin by carefully examining the "surface." Through 39 works of 20th-century art from the Ohara Museum of Art (originally planned for 35) and our museum's special exhibition of the Yakushi Nyorai statue, we invite you to enjoy these diverse "surfaces" with both your eyes and heart.