Long Beach State University Learning Outcomes Department of Art and Art History

State of the art

Exploring Roppongi and Tennozu, ii of Tokyo'due south artsiest neighbourhoods

We know information technology's hard to believe, but Roppongi, Tokyo's glitzy underbelly of pricey booze, sleazy clubs and bazaar shopping, lives a double life every bit the city'southward fine art hub. The capital's most famous entertainment district, once known equally 'High Touch on Town', prides itself on an impressive array of small galleries and big museums – the cultural legacy of gentrification efforts over the last decade.

Further southeast, Tennozu Isle is no stranger to the art, or artifice, of transformation from the bottom up either. In fact, the artificial island was literally dredged upward from the depths of Tokyo Bay during the 1920s and '30s. Recently, extensive waterfront planning has seen the hitherto tranquility warehouse district re-emerge as a be-muraled town dotted with canalside cafés, high-rise office buildings, hip hotels and art galleries.

Roppongi

This year, Roppongi's art cred was raised to new heights with the opening of the Complex665 edifice (half-dozen-v-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku), which houses a trifecta of influential galleries: Tomio Koyama, ShugoArts and Taka Ishii. The edifice sits on a residential back street tucked away from the hustle and hurry of Roppongi, but is hard to miss thanks to what appears to exist a squiggle painted on its side. This symbol is the logo designed for Complex665 past artist Yoshihisa Tanaka, who imagined how a 'fictional artist named 665 might sign their ain work'.

A major player in Tokyo's contemporary art scene, Tomio Koyama Gallery moved into the second floor of the building from their previous location in Sendagaya, employing young architects Toru Murayama and Ayako Kato to pattern their new 2-room exhibition infinite. They represent an impressive roster of artists in Japan, including wunderkind lensman Ryan McGinley, American mail service-minimalist Richard Tuttle and Yoko Ono.

Also on the 2d floor is ShugoArts, who take championed the avant-garde of Japanese art since the mid-'80s. Their gallery was designed by architect Jun Aoki, also responsible for facelifting the façade of the Louis Vuitton building in Ginza. Unlike their flatmates, ShugoArts keep the shop open on Sundays.

Calling dibs on the peak bunk are Taka Ishii Gallery, who stand for heavy-hitters like Elmgreen & Dragset, Nobuyoshi Araki, Daido Moriyama and Thomas Demand. Furniture and interior design gurus Broadbean, whose offices occupy the ground floor, were enlisted to design the sleek gallery space on the tertiary floor, which wonderfully feeds off natural light coming in from the constitute terrace.

If y'all've enjoyed killing a whole flock of birds with one stone, and then caput over to the Piramide Building (6-half-dozen-ix Roppongi, Minato-ku), which is another slap-up example of the tried-and-tested 'power in numbers' model of fine art collectives. Leading galleries Ota Fine Arts and Wako Works of Fine art are among its famous tenants.

Rising above the residual both in tiptop and, arguably, in might, the 238-metre Roppongi Hills Mori Belfry is abode to the Mori Art Museum, which holds some of Tokyo'southward almost ambitious and influential exhibitions. A retrospective dedicated to the Indian artist Northward Due south Harsha will be unveiled in February 2017.

The brainchild of manner (and fragrance) designer Issey Miyake and young man design greats Taku Satoh and Naoto Fukasawa, 21_21 Design Sight more than underscores Roppongi'south part every bit the focal point of Tokyo'due south art scene. The common focus of their ever-changing lineup of exhibitions is interdisciplinary design.

The National Art Center (NACT), designed past Kisho Kurokawa of Nakagin Sheathing Tower fame, boasts the largest exhibition space of any museum in Nippon. Unlike most of its counterparts, NACT is an 'empty museum', which means information technology does non have a permanent drove, instead choosing to commission i-off exhibitions – their Monet testify was the second almost visited exhibition in the world in 2007.

Located in Tokyo Midtown and designed past renowned architect Kengo Kuma, the Suntory Museum of Fine art possesses the biggest collection of Japanese arts and crafts in the country, comprised of a whopping three,000-plus objects. Their tea ceremonies, staged on the 6th flooring every second Thursday, are a must do.

And for the 'Peanuts' fans out at that place, Roppongi has a Snoopy Museum, showcasing Charles Thou Schulz's original drawings and fine art for the dear serial. A number of the cartoonist's early works, vintage collectibles and other materials are too on display.

Tennozu Isle

Backed by the Terrada warehouse company, which does far more than merely stock Tokyoites' leftover belongings, Tennozu'due south new Archi-Depot museum displays a whopping 116 architectural models by Japanese starchitects, including works past Kengo Kuma, Shigeru Ban and Riken Yamamoto. While the exhibition warehouse isn't exactly a sight to behold, the architectural models – depicting both real buildings and unrealised projects – gleam like miniature cabinets of curiosities. After paying a visit to Archi-Depot, you're sure to walk away with a renewed appreciation for Tokyo'southward beautiful buildings, oft overlooked in the relentless hustle and bustle of our dearest urban center.

Merely a stone's throw abroad from Archi-Depot lies the striking art supplies 'laboratory' Pigment, designed by Kuma and inspired by the await and experience of bamboo. It stocks more than 4,500 color pigments, 50 kinds of creature glues, and a number of tiptop-quality traditional painting tools including over 200 antiquarian ink sticks. The staff are all well-versed in the intricacies of the products and are happy to show you how to utilise them.

Taking a cue from their comrades over in Roppongi, 4 gimmicky art galleries recently decided to nestle against each other on the third floor of the Terrada Art Complex. The quartet is comprised of Kodama Gallery, who are getting fix for a solo show past Japanese artist Gaëtan Kubo opening January 14; Urano, representing domestic talents such every bit Takahiro Iwasaki, who volition exist flying the flag for Japan at the 2017 Venice Biennale; Yamamoto Gendai, who count the legendary luminary Richard Serra among their artists; and Yuka Tsuruno Gallery, known for their collaborations with renowned artists Candida Höfer and José Parlá. Lest you forget your surrounds, the galleries are located inside a fully operating warehouse and are only accessible by a service elevator.

Every bit the sometime and electric current residents of neighbourhoods like London's Shoreditch and New York's Brooklyn will tell you, gentrification is a double-edged sword that tears through the old to brand way for the new. Whichever side of the third moving ridge café/local caff split you're on, the number and density of art galleries is often a good litmus test for how far a neighbourhood has come downward the line. Less than half an hour apart, Roppongi and Tennozu Isle offer two dissimilar cases to report for those interested in the sociocultural effects of Tokyo'south urban planning. Or you could but look at the art.

Terrada'south main warehouse (2-half dozen-x Higashi-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku) is holding an exhibition on David Bowie from January viii to April nine – be sure to get your tickets in advance.

Discover more than galleries in Roppongi

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Source: https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/art/state-of-the-art

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