Reception Party: July 19th (Sat) 18:00-20:00

A contemporary art live event presented by young sound production team. Aiming to define the relationship between music and creators, they will create a musical environment presented in a similar way as painting. Multiple speakers placed in the venue spacially compose sound. Live Title: Breathing While we, human beings inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, artists and composers inhale something from everyday life, and exhale something in a form of art, and the viewers consecutively inhale and exhale something from what they see. Shedding light on the field of music, young composers and artists have worked on this sound project, aiming to provide an opportunity to experience this unique creation.

This exhibition is curated by the Video Art Center Tokyo with an attempt to introduce video art from all over the world. This edition features Carlo Sansolo from Rio de Janeiro. While dealing with self-referential nature of mass media and criticism raised in society, he never forgets to insert a sense of humor in his work.

Flo Union media lounge is a relaxed monthly gathering of video artists, Vjs, musicians, Djs, animators, filmakers, live projection artists & performers. Everybody welcome! Participate or just come along to watch, listen and have a drink. Email flounion@gmail.com to perform or display.

5F Entertainment Exhibition "Tent 4" Dates: July 16th (Wed)-July 19th (Sat) Times: July 16th 15:00-19:00, July 17th & 18th 11:00-19:00, July 19th 11:00-15:30 & 16:00-19:00 (Tent 4 ending parade) Fee: ¥500 Genre: 2D, 3D, Spatial Representation HP: Exhibition Website 6F Toshiyuki Furuya "Inner Sight" Dates & Times: July 15th (Tue)-July 20th (Sun) 11:00-19:00 (last day until 17:00) Genre: Photography

Photography Exhibition "Lights, Shadows and Memories Crossing Each Other" Featuring works by 15 artists including Erika Yoshino's new photo works and slide show "Party of Light". Approximately 450 works. -Location: Exhibition Rooms on 1F & 2F -Times: 10:00-19:00. -Contact: Lights, Shadows and Memories Crossing Each Other Exhibition Executive Committee 045-563-3077

Location: Exhibition Room 3 Contact: Shogakukan Production Sales & Production Division 03-3515-6905

Live event filling the space of High-Kyo with collage by 4 artists.

12 person group exhibition of media art students from Women's Art University. This is the 4th installment of the exhibition, taking the theme "Rouge".

Exhibition and sale of works by 40 artists from the Tohoku University of Art and Design.

Celebrating the grand opening of online gallery and select shop, Salone Aoyama, limited one-week real shop event will be held at Gallery Dojunkai.

Opening Party: July 16th (Wed) 18:00-20:00

Group cat-themed exhibition.

Painting, metalwork, glass... Work in various media by four artists in an exhibition where the X's are for you to fill in yourself!

Nude, tropical plants, and still life paintings by Kotaro Sonoe are on display. Carefully composing shapes, colors, and lines, he explores possibilities of painting. This is his first exhibition. Reception: July 19th (Sat) 18:00

In this first solo exhibition by the artist, 100 drawings depicting archetypal scenes from everyday life will be on display.

Dates & Times July 16th (Wed) 16:00-18:00 July 17th (Thur)-20th (Sun) 12:00-18:00 July 21st (Mon) 12:00-16:00

Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival is one of the largest film festivals in Asia started in 1992. Outstanding films dealing with sexuality and gender issues are on screen. Please refer to the official website of the film festival for details. The film festival first starts at Shinjuku Wald 9, screening between July 11th (Fri) - 13th (Sun).

Tokusen Gallery -Minori Yoshita ceramics exhibition -Mitsuo Masuda and 24 craftsmen exhibition (goldsmithery) -Wood sculptures Bijutsu Salon -19th century European woodblock prints exhibition Art Square -Hideaki Suzuki exhibition Craft Salon -Satsuma-yaki ceramics exhibition

Ikuta has been based himself in the San-in region of Japan, taking photographs of environment around him. In November 2006, upon the opening of Yamaguchi Prefecture National Cultural Festival, Ikuta happened to visit Yashiro Island (Suo Oshima Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture) and Kurahashi Island (Kurahashi Town, Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture), both located in the Seto Inland Sea region. There, he was striken a chord with residents' daily life and the islands' seasonal traditions. Since then, he traveled through these islands for 6 times in total, capturing sculptural elements he found in the scenery. While Ikuta's photographs on view don't necessarily portray beautiful sceneries of the islands, they captivate viewers with a sense of nostalgia, relief and surprise. 45 color photographs are on display.

This is the third edition of the exhibition series, "Colors", taking monochrome as the theme. For this exhibition, 25 illustrators created works using black on white background.

This is the 19th edition of "A Trip to the History of Modern Architecture Sketch Exhibition", which started in 1993 with the aim to send hearty cheers to historical buildings located in various places by sketching them. The first stage of the exhibition is held at Ayumi Gallery in Kagurazaka. -Opening Party Date & Time: July 18th (Fri) 18:00 Fee: ¥1000 *Reservation not required.

Glass artist Akira Watanabe has a studio in an artist village located on top of a 430-meter mountain in Rakusai, Kyoto. Various artists hold their studios there, engaging in their artistic activities in such a creative environment surrounded by nature. Watanabe has a unique career as a craft artist. He first studied philosophy at a university, where he was introduced to the Art Nouveau and Art Deco movements, captured by the beauty of glass art. He worked for a glass-related company, while studying cutting techniques. Then he became an independent glass artist 10 years ago. This is Watanabe's first solo exhibition at Wako Hall showcasing a total of 80 glass plates, bowls, vessels, and glasses. He mainly incorporates glass-sheet layering technique creating a group of glittering-star-like glassware. [Image: "Seiyu" 29.5 x 31.5 x 4.5cm]

In this 4th solo exhibition by the artist, her Japanese paper work as well as collage work will be on display.

This exhibition features sci-fi and fantasy illustrations with bold colors. Postcards and other accessories are also on display and for sale.

Opening Party: July 18th (Fri) 18:00-20:00

Paper-made cobweb-like laces will envelope exhibition space. Party: July 21st (Mon/ National Holiday) 18:00

Around 100 works by the members of the Japan-China cultural exchange group. Jin Xingshi's most recent works dealing with the Sichuan earthquake are on display also.

-Nobuo Kurosawa Oil Painting Exhibition Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1930 and graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 1953. He is a member of Nittenkaiyu and Hakunichi-kai. Around 30 of winterscape and other landscape paintings are on display. -Hiro Ajiki's Tea Utensils

This is the inaugural edition of the "Shape of Today" exhibition at Galerie Nichido. 30 contemporary sculptors at the forefront of their discipline have been selected to exhibit their work at this exhibition organized by the Showa-kai, who also run the gallery. [Image: Yuji Banura, "Red Eagle", lacquered wood, H.28×W.26×D.30]

A collaboration between Japanese illustrator Manabu Iguchi and Australian photographer Reuben Stanton of illustrated and photographic dreamscapes including (among other things) girls riding on fish, frightened ghosts and flying cats.

Minakawa began exhibiting at Art Box Gallery since 1999, and this solo exhibition is his 10th to be held here. Focusing mostly on his "Nurseryland Tales" series, this exhibition presents his popular character designs.

As a concurrent project with its New York branch, Gallery Ippodo is hosting "Stylish Japanese Tableware" Exhibition. On view are Japanese tableware now extremely popular in New York. They have also been introduced in various magazines and selected by Japanese Restaurants hard to make reservations at.

The artist will be at the venue on July 17th, 18th and 26th.

This exhibition at Kaikai Kiki features over 80 posters by Murakami created over a period of some 10 years dating from Kaikai's previous guise as Hiropon Factory. These works from the My First Art Series are of a high quality, yet affordable, and are all signed by Murakami. As the name implies, this is Murakami's first "own" artistic output, arising out of the desire to start a project where one could obtain a limited edition artwork with the whiff of an original, tasting for oneself the emotional impact of that experience. As Murakami slowly accumulated series of work, his concern for high standards of printing deepened. His recent works have become exemplary instances of the newest and most cutting-edge printing technology in a country known for its prowess in this area. The finishes obtained through such printing techniques mark a successful foray into artistic production with a completely new value system. For sales inquiries, a special website for this purpose will be set up. [Image: Takashi Murakami "My arms and legs rot off and though my blood rushes forth, the tranquility of my heart shall be prized above all." (2008) (c)2007 Takashi Murakami/Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. All Rights Reserved.]

Woodblock print demonstrations will be held on July 20th and 27th.

T-shirts produced in collaboration with contemporary artists. A temporary T-shirt shop, Shirtsgenic, will be set up for a limited period in the gallery. This is the 4th edition of the exhibition, with no particular theme in place except the individual creativity of the exhibiting artists.

[Image: Motoaki Mori "Perla dell `Adriatico"]

The artist will be at the venue on Saturdays, Sundays and national holiday (July 21st).

Showcasing photographs this artist took in off-limits premises and torn-down buildings. Although the artist has worked mainly on portrait photographs for years, he focused this time on the interior of the buildings rather than figures.

The work of costume artist Kozue Hibino is featured at this solo exhibition at Gallery Mitate. This year's theme is "Summer in Japan," and showcases yukata fabrics, obi sashes, parasols and other summer accessories, as well as new works like collage bags and skirts made out of the same materials.

In the postmodern era, sophisticated product designs have emerged. Shiro Kuramata is known for his innovative design and creative activities that transcend the categories of art and design. Times have changed, and now it seems like we can finally, fully appreciate what he has achieved through his work. In this exhibition, furniture Kuramata designed for the hotel inside the Tsukuba Center Building, such as tables and mirrors used in the hotel rooms, are on display and for sale.

Skip City International D-Cinema Festival 2008 is a unique film festival which focuses on the screenings of digitally shot and produced films. In its competition category, selected 12 full-length films and 12 short films among a total of 993 films gathered from 75 countries and regions will be screened. As shooting and screening style of the next generation, digital cinema is experiencing surging popularity. In this festival, all films will be screened with high-definition 4k digital cinema projector. Invitation screening this time is "non-film digital screening contents" in which kabuki and musical stages shot with high-end cameras are digitally screened. There will also be free talk events targeted especially to new video creators aspiring to make commercial films in near future. Please enjoy this 9-day-long festival as immersing yourself in the next-generation film production style "digital cinema". Advance tickets: Competition Category Advance ticket ¥600, At the door ¥800. Advance tickets will be sold until July 18th at Ticket Pia and other venues. For more details, please contact Skip City International D-Cinema Festival Head Office 048-263-0818. Opening hours *Open everyday during the duration of the festival. *With a ticket stub for the festival, you can enter the Eizo Museum for free. Access *During the festival, free bus service is available between JR Kawaguchi station east exit and the venue. Buses will run in 20-minute loops. *With a ticket stub for the festival, you can use parking lot for free. For full schedule and screening details, please see the event website.

Painter Ikko Taniuchi's first solo exhibition in Tokyo. His most recent acrylic, watercolor, crayon paintings and drawings are on display.

In the "32nd National University Printmaking Exhibition" held at the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts from December 1st to 16th in 2007, works by 280 students from 62 art universities all over Japan were exhibited. Then 33 students, whose works garnered more votes from jury than others, won prizes. These winners were recognized not only for their techniques earned at their respective schools but for their exquisite artistic expressions in this particular medium; prints. In this 2nd edition of the exhibition which started last year at Bumpodo Gallery, works by 30 prize winners will be on view, introducing up-and-coming young artists' fresh creativity.

Opening: July 19th (Sat) 17:00-

The harmonica is an instrument familiar to many, easy to pick up, as with whistling, and once you get into it, proves to be an instrument that lets you express your emotions with it easily. Its shape and size also make it easy and apt to be carried around wherever you go in your pocket. This exhibition features a variety of exhibits and events that showcase the unique appeal of this instrument, in particular the "blues harp" much loved in the American South. Harmonicas will be on sale, and live performances with the instrument are also scheduled. Please see the website for more details.

The annual "Holiday for Two" exhibition is back! This exhibition features the travel exploits of photographers Akinori Ikeda and Ani Watanabe, a project in which both artists experience the same place at the same time under the same conditions, recording their experiences through photography. The last time this exhibition was held, Ikeda and Watanabe used the same camera (a Mamiya 645) and trawled the streets of Shanghai. This time, however, they used 35mm film and took to the streets of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) - the oncoming tidal waves of motorbikes, people plying their trades on the streets and in the markets, the children...Saigon is a city with a constant flow and exchange of people and their sounds and smells that accompany that flow. Ikeda and Watanabe capture that unconscious flow with their shutters, and the results of their urban escapade, a tale of Saigon life, is on display at the gallery. Limited edition prints with edition numbers will be on sale for the duration of the exhibition. Carrying on where the last exhibition in the series left off, photographer Tokiwa Hibiki has been invited to give a talk show as well. A photo workshop conducted by Ikeda and Watanabe is also to be held on August 2nd. Talk show with Tokiwa Hibiki Date and time: July 26th (Sat) 15:00-17:00 Fee: ¥1000 (includes one drink) Limited to 40 persons (first-come first-serve basis) Tel: 03-3401-0741 Reservations: Please email (info@calmandpunk.com) or call the venue. For email reservations, please include "July 26th Talk Show participation" in the title, with your name, email address and number attending. A confirmation email will be sent back to you. Workshop with Akinori Ikeda and Ani Watanabe Date and time: August 2nd (Sat) 14:00-17:00 (please gather 10 min before the start time) Venue: Calm and Punk Gallery Limited to 12 couples (first-come first-serve basis) Fee: ¥2000 per couple Reservations accepted from June 30th (Mon)-July 28th (Mon) Reservations: Please email (info@calmandpunk.com) or call the venue. Please send an email with "August 2nd Saigon for Two workshop participation" in the title, with your name, email address and number attending. A confirmation email will be sent back to you. Please bring along one digital camera (with strobe/sync function) and someone you care about. Opening party: July 18th (Fri) 19:00-21:00

Paul Smith Space Gallery is holding a collaborative exhibition with Cocolo Ukes called "Paul Smith x Cocolo Ukes" from July 19th-31st. The works will be on sale also. In addition, two live performances are scheduled during the exhibition period: July 20th (Sun) 16:30- July 27th (Sun) 16:30- Art Book Sale Starting July 1st, there will be a sale mostly of art books at the book corner of the first floor of Paul Smith Space, with up to 50% off.

void+ is showcasing Mario Tauchi's Psyche-ga-delic 2008 exhibition from July 18th to July 31st. Tauchi has been creating mandala paintings in various media and also collaborating with musicians, visual artists and other specialists, improvising mandala paintings live. At void+alternative, he will be collaborating with guitarist cloudchair (aka Jake/ Masatomo Kawase), and a chef specializing in spices, det2, to create a unique Mandala, while exploring the transformation that happens when his inner self meets an external entity. Event Schedule July 18th (Fri) 19:00- Panel Discussion "Artists and Self-management" -Roland Kelts（writer, rector at Tokyo University） -Haruka Ito（research associate at Kyoto University of Art and Design, research center for editorial studies, gallery manager of magical, Artroom） -Tadasuke Iwanaga（Artist） -Mario Tauchi（Artist） Fee: ¥500 July 19th (Sat), doors open 19:00, start 19:30 Guitar and Live Painting: Ambient session #1 Featuring: Mario Mandala/ cloudchair Fee: ¥2000 *Reservation by email required for this event July 22nd (Tue), doors open 19:00, start 19:30 Live Curry Cooking flavored with Mario Mandala Featuring: Mario Mandala/ det2 Fee ¥2000 July 25th (Fri), doors open 19:00, start 19:30 Guitar and Live Painting: Ambient session #2 Featuring: Mario Mandala/cloudchair + α Fee: ¥2000 *Reservation by email required for this event

As the title suggests, this exhibition features not well-known pieces but the collection of "unknown ones worth honorable mention", which ranges from works exhibited when the gallery was at the previous location to the ones the gallery owner has collected based purely on his own interest and taste. A lot of works will be on display for the first time ever. [Image: Koji Enokura "Cloth No.2" (1977) silkscreen (waste oil) 77.6 × 108.3cm]

This exhibition consists of the work of female artists who have attracted much attention for their unique styles and modes of expression, but who have bridged the differences in their chosen fields to mount this show. In recent years, exhibitions that question the historical condition and current circumstances faced by female artists have become much talked-about in art circles worldwide, but this exhibition avoids narrow feminist approaches in favor of a focus on the purely creative possibilities conveyed by the diverse work of these female artists. Talk event The "Witches' One TImes One" refers to the laws of magic expounded on in Goethe's "Faust", in which the essence and richness of the world is discussed, a world that transcends the limits of the modern fixation on rationalism and logic. These "witches" possess the ability to tap into a natural source, which in today's terms perhaps refers to those personalities strong enough to resist the tide of the masses and cultivate singular talents. This discussion will revolve around the works presented by these modern-day "witches". Date and time: July 17th (Thu) 19:00- Venue: Hillside Plaza With Fram Kitagawa, Mayumi Tsuruoka, Akihiko Takami, Ritsuko Taho, Noriko Yanagisawa

Stitch Tokyo (Stitch Japan Ltd.), Tokishirazu (United Arrows Ltd.) and Beams T (Beams Ltd.) are co-hosting this exhibition by French artist Genevieve Gauckler. During the exhibition period, these 3 venues will display the artist's work, while related goods will be for sale also. This is a new approach for multiple companies from fashion industry to engage together in such a genre-straddling project. While this event aims to enliven Daikanyama area where these venues are located, it also has a goal, as its title suggests, to further cultivate cultural exchanges between Japan and France in this particular year celebrating 150th anniversary of Japan-French relationship. Venues: Beams T Daikanyama Stitch Tokyo Daikanyama Tokishirazu Opening Party: July 18th (Fri) 18:00-21:00 (at each venue)

Opening Reception: July 18th (Fri) 18:00-21:00 *There will be northern European food and drinks at the reception.

After graduating from Musashino Art University Crafts & Industrial Design Department in 1971, Okinari Kurokawa (1946-) first worked at the Iwakura Precision Casting Institute and then studied abroad at Pforzheim University of Design in West Germany, concentrating on jewelry production. While Kurokawa initially majored in industrial design, he cultivated his interest toward accessories in the process of switching his direction to craft making, in which he could engage himself fully as well as reflect his own thoughts and ideas directly. In Germany, he not only acquired traditional jewelry manufacturing method but also gained on-the-spot experience of contemporary jewelry making, which decided his later career as a leading contemporary jewelry designer in Japan. Now based in Kofu, Kurokawa teaches at a school to foster young jewelry artists, while also working on his own projects. Kurokawa understands jewelry as "sculpture to be worn", always exploring forms of his work from two different angles: if the form stands on its own; and how it looks when involved with human body. Additionally, with his exceptionally profound knowledge in metal materials, Kurokawa keeps cultivating his originality by skillfully combining traditional and innovative techniques. On view in this exhibition entitled "Ring Ring Ring" are over 50 rings. Rings are the items Kurokawa has put the best focus on, and thus his world is epitomized in them. Many of them have structures and textures not attainable by casting, widening possibilities of the genre. Rings with various modes, such as one with Japanese-paper-like soft texture and sculpture-like one built with the combination of geometric shapes, will be on display. Reception Party: July 18th (Fri) 18:00-20:30

"Electrical Fantasista" is an exhibition that lets audiences experience first hand how cutting-edge art and design adds color and interest to our world. These "fantasista" artists and creative collectives in art, design and craft working in the Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area, one of the world's most fertile centers for media art and design, will present innovative work that is experiential and interactive. These works relate to future lifestyle spaces, street corners to relax and spend leisure time in, using the latest technology to soothe frazzled nerves and stimulate discussion about new frontiers of art and design.

“Asakusa Zenzai” is a series of documentary photographs that focuses on an old couple living in an old neighborhood of Tokyo. The title is reminiscent of the easygoing feeling and sentimentality of this old neighborhood. However, this exhibition is not meant for those who like high art that is easy to take in. In these 80 photographs, the little vicissitudes of life are unflinchingly portrayed, causing an aching in the hearts of their unwitting viewers. Eriko Koga was born in Fukuoka in 1980. After graduating from Sophia University’s French Literature Department, she unwaveringly embarked on a career in photography, choosing to become a freelance photographer. She had wanted to become a photographer since high school, and while in college she studied photography on her own, going around town taking photos of people. When she was 22, she met an old couple at the Asakusa Sanja Festival and spent the following 6 years training her camera on their lives. Her record of Asakusa, which she began photographing in May 2003, was selected for the 2004 photo documentary “Nippon”, presented by Guardian Garden, and 3 years later was featured in the June 2007 issue of the photography magazine “Kaze no Tabibito”. Then, in April this year, the photography series she had been working on for 6 years, “Asakusa Zenzai”, was finally completed. It will be presented in a long-awaited exhibition this summer at our gallery in Hiroo. Ms. Koga’s photographs are roughly textured. It would be hard to say that her technical control of light is flattering or refined. However, even so, you rarely find photos this strikingly unforgettable. Perhaps these works are so moving because they capture lives as they truly are: the lives of a couple aging, year by year. Like the spectrum of a fading rainbow, the shining vermilion light intersects with the lonely blue-gray light of wasted things in these photographs. Ms. Koga controlled the timing of her shots while portraying this old couple as they are. The works in this exhibition can be seen as a symbol of the tradeoff between physical richness and a modern society that is gradually losing its humanity. In recent years, the tradeoff for our emphasis on economic development or social progress is a society that cultivates excessive individualism and inequality, resulting in many people being abandoned. The old couple portrayed in “Asakusa Zenzai” may be among those very people. However, thanks to the young and promising Ms. Koga, for whom becoming a photographer was everything, this old couple has not been completely abandoned. “Nothing I could say could better express what is in these photographs. I would be thrilled if people feel something beyond what can be seen when they look at these photos.” May 2008. Seiji Komatsu, Director of Emon Inc.

Tokyo Gallery + BTAP is pleased to announce that it is holding a solo exhibition by Korean artist Kim Changyoung, titled "From where to where". This is Kim's first exhibition at Tokyo Gallery + BTAP, and he will be showing new works that address the theme of the evanescence of life. Kim Changyoung was born in Taegu, Korea in 1957. He moved to Japan in 1982 and a chance encounter with Yoshihige Saito led him to study at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. It was there that he started to make works using sand. Following his graduation in 1986, he held exhibitions at Gallery BHAK and a number of other spaces. Kim makes his works by pasting Korean yellow soil onto the canvas and then painting over it with oil paint. On top of this sandy surface, the imagery he creates is one of sandy landscapes, pockmarked with countless footprints. The use of real sand in the works entices viewers into feeling that they have been transported into at an actual sandy environment. After looking at Kim Changyoung's works for a while, one begins to think that the act of painting, like the footprints portrayed in the images, is the act of leaving an imprint on the world. Likewise, in the way that footprints in the sand disappear with the wind, people's acts also disappear with time. The title of the works "From where to where" aims to convey this sense of life's transience. This exhibition at Tokyo Gallery + BTAP is being held simultaneously with the imported luxury goods store Sun Motoyama, also in Ginza. At the opening reception on July 16 (Wed), from 19:00, Kim Ol will give a kayagum performance (traditional Korean zither). Tokyo Gallery + BTAP hopes that you will take this opportunity to experience Kim Changyoung's magical world in which reality and illusion intertwine. Opening : July 16th (Wed) 18:00-20:00 Event: from 19:00, Kim Ol will give a kayagum performance (traditional Korean zither)

Taro Nasu is pleased to announce the opening of a group show of Japanese painters. Opening reception: July 18th (Fri) 18:00-20:00

The Japan Design Committee is hosting an exhibition entitled Gifu Prefecture Oribe Design Center Hida Furniture Project "Furniture for Personal Use' 6 Designers Exhibition". This exhibition introduces the results of monozukuri (shop-floor) project, which has been realized by bringing together technical capabilities of Hidatakayama, the region famous for its furniture industry, and designing skills of Japan Design Committee members. Gifu Economic and Industrial Promotion Center (Oribe Design Center), furniture manufacturers of Hidatakayama (Kagu Kobo Kijisha, Nisshin Mokko, Hida Sangyo) and 6 Committee members (Kenya Hara, Shinji Iwasaki, Motomi Kawakami, Shin Matsunaga, Kaoru Mende, Taku Sato) collaborated on "furniture for personal use". 6 members designed their respective work with specific places and settings in mind. Then, the manufacturers gathered intended meanings and significances of all designs and repeatedly produced prototypes for about a year with intent to distribute them eventually. This exhibition showcases 6 pieces of furniture that the 6 Committee members designed. They will be sold by subscription at the venue also.

T&G Arts presents a photography exhibition of Kishin Shinoyama entitled "Free". In this series, Shinoyama collaborated with actress Sarara Tsukifune, who used to play the male role in the famous, all-women musical performance group Takarazuka Revue, Tsuki-gumi. She left Takarazuka in 2005 and began working as an actress in movies and other theater productions. These photographs on view are the result of improvisation by Tsukifune, who now works as an independent actress, and Shinoyama. Uneasiness and trembling feelings, which occurred at the starting point of their creative process, are revealed in Shinoyama's photographs. The works are not mere depiction of eroticism, but reflections of human mystery and its existence.

Galerie Doux Dimanche's familiar creator from Paris, Anne Hubert has brought her new work that pleasantly showcases this summer. Hubert has been active as textile designer for "La Cerise Sur le Gateau". While fabrics with her feminine, charming designs have gained much popularity, she also proposes in her book "Customiser" the enjoyment in hand-making and customizing simple T-shirts, linen items, etc. Her new collection includes not only feminine but also cool and modern motifs. Taking its theme on "white summer", this exhibition introduces everyday-use items with her sophisticated designs.

"Criterium" (criterion in Latin), is a series of exhibition introducing new works by emerging artists working in Japan. This exhibition presents an installation work by Tetsuya Umeda, who creates works in response to the space using electric fans. Performance Date & Time: July 21st (Mon) 15:00 Location: Mito Art Museum 2F *You can see the performance with the admission ticket to the museum.

"Koedalien" is a remix of "Koeda chan", a classic Japanese character since 1977. After many years of success, "Koeda chan" ended her long career in 1993. However, in 2004, after great anticipation, the Koeda chan character was revived! Her sweetness has captured not only the original fans but also new generations as well. "Koedalien" is the new "Koeda chan " for adults to remind them of their childhood. The character design is by Noriya Takeyama who is also known for creating "Pooly's" . The Junie Moon limited 3 color set "Koedalien" will be available soon!

This is the second in a series of solo exhibitions of Shinro Otake that continues to October. Please contact the gallery for more information. Opening Reception: July 19th 18:00-20:00

This is a series exhibition presenting the result of latest domestic excavation and research. This time, about 350 notable pieces from the last year's excavation will be exhibited. In addition, much talked-about historical site the Takamatsuzuka tomb mound (Asuka Village, Takaichi County, Nara Prefecture) and Iwamiginzan silver mine (Ota City, Shimane Prefecture), which was registered as world's cultural heritage site last year, will be introduced. From Osuzukami site in Iwate Prefecture to the Gusuku site in Kikaijima Island, Kagoshima Prefecture, excavation data from all over Japan will be available on view in this exhibition. Moreover, in regional exhibition section which features archaeological sites in Tokyo, the consolidation of Edo Castle and the town around it will be presented on the theme of "the birth of excavated modern city Edo" by analyzing the process of building castle and its outer mote. [Image: "People Carrying Shields -Taishizuka Tomb Mound" (Takasaki City, Gunma Prefecture)]

-Open Studio "Kinetic Art and Craft" July 19th - August 31st 3F Zokei Studio This workshop introduces how things move and how they work. Let's make a moving object! -Jungle Camera July 19th - August 8th 10F Computer Room What kinds of animals live in jungles? Using computer, make your own dream jungle with various animals and trees! -Magic Picture August 9th - 31st 10F Computer Room Let's play with computer graphic techniques to create magical pictures! -Mysterious Video Experimentation Lab August 12th - 20th, 22nd - 31st 4F A Studio An exhibition of toys which explain the function of motion pictures and an animation workshop using two illustrations. 11:00-17:00 -Eco Art Exhibition July 19th - August 31st 1F Gallery Artist Hiroshi Fuji and package craft artist Kazuma Takahashi's exhibition of recycle art and workshop. (July 19th - August 3rd "Making Flowers", August 4th - 31st "Making Clothes") More information on these events and other programs can be found on their website.

What is "printing"? Follow this enjoyable way to learn about the world of printing for parents and children alike. After learning about the history of printing through a quiz format as well as the all-familiar modern printing process, try your hand at some typographical printing! You can print your name on a sheet of paper to be used as the front cover of the book after answering the quiz on the worksheet. Fold the worksheet, and bind it with the front cover to create your own book. We would be delighted to welcome the whole family. *Worksheets are only available in Japanese.

In Fujimori's atelier, there are always numerous models of furniture he designs. Study models, presentation models, full-size models... this exhibition features these models in various scales.

In the year of the Olympics being held in Beijing, the museum is holding a special exhibition of the textual treasures stored in the National Palace Museum, Beijing. The items on display include the Shenlongbanyinben, a copy of the Lanting Xu, one of the finest works of Wang Xizhi [the first time his work has ever been displayed overseas]. While tracing the history of these masterpieces, which are regarded as articles par excellence even among Chinese calligraphy, the viewer can also see the influence which Chinese calligraphy have had on Japan.

Shippo (cloisonne) is a decorative technique of ceramic making using glass powder to create beautiful patterns. In Japan, shippo flourished in the middle ages throughout the modern period. Especially in the 19th century in Obari, ever since Tsunekichi Kaji invented a yusen shippo (wired shippo) which enabled ceramists a sort of painter-like approach, shippo became even more gorgeously ornate. In the modern era, these Japanese shippo wares became quite popular in Europe, and this was also the time when Japanese artisans were well motivated to create shippo masterpieces in order to present the high quality of Japanese craft internationally. This exhibition mainly consists of collections of Kiyomizu Sannenzaka Museum in Kyoto, which holds the largest collections of modern shippo, featuring masterpieces from the Meiji period.

Over 300 cell animation illustrations and other works from Tatsunoko Production showcasing the breadth of the studio's output. Also on display will be selected video works, manuscripts, drafts and sketches. In addition, screenings and talks (with Hiroshi Sasakawa) are scheduled. See website for more details. [Image: "Time Bokan Series Yatta-man" (c) Tatsunoko Pro]

Crafts involve various decorative techniques. Patterns seen in crafts were refined over a long history. Different meanings are embedded in each kind, carrying messages that stimulate our imagination. Although the decorative aspect used to be an indispensable element of crafts, simplistic and inorganic design became employed in modern crafts, as if denying the significance of the decorative aspect in craft tradition. However, in recent years, on the contrary to such modern design, artists creating overtly decorative crafts began to appear, infatuated by the act of ornamentation. Such a trend can be compared to deco-den, cellphones obsessively decorated with rhinestone stickers. This year's Crafts Gallery for Kids focuses on decorative patterns on craft pieces. The program examines decorative elements of about 100 excellent pieces from the collection including ceramics, lacquer ware, textiles and metalworks in an attempt to delve into the appeal of crafts. Workshops for kids will also be given by craftspeople during the period. Details for 2008 Summer Craft Gallery for Kids can be found . (In Japanese only) [Image: Kozan Miyakawa "Hatooukazu-takaukibori-kabin" (1871-82)]

Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum is pleased to present “Summer Villa: The Sculptures, Drawings, and Prints of Katsura Funakoshi in Art Deco Space.” Katsura Funakoshi was born in Morioka, Japan in 1951. He studied sculpture at Tokyo Zokei University and graduate school at Tokyo University of the Arts (the former name: Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music). In the 1980s he began carving human figures out of camphor wood and partially coloring them. After many domestic shows, his work appeared in major international exhibitions, including the 1988 Venice Biennale and Documenta IX in 1992, establishing a reputation both here and abroad for his fresh approach to figurative sculpture. Funakoshi went on to cultivate new territories of sculptural expression, partially deforming his figures in a solo exhibition of 2003-2004 and further developing these forms to create the enigmatic, androgynous Sphinx series, begun in 2006. This exhibition introduces the challenging Sphinx series, including new pieces, as well as a selection of the best work from each previous period of the artist’s career. To Funakoshi, drawings and prints are important modes of creative expression in their own right on the same level as his sculpture. His drawings are not just studies for sculpture but comprise a world that is complete in itself. In his prints, which he began making as a student in England in 1987, he employs a variety of techniques, including drypoint, aquatint, lithography, and woodcut, to produce freely expressive artworks that are not subordinate to the sculpture. This exhibition gives equal attention to all three forms of expression to provide a fuller understanding of the artist. A particular point of interest on this occasion is the encounter between the Art Deco space of the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum and the work of Funakoshi. The distinctively decorated rooms of the museum, quite different from the “white cube” galleries of most museums, will come together with Funakoshi’s sculptures, drawings, and prints to create a rich tapestry, a rare space and time that cannot be experienced anywhere else. The museum will be transformed into a summer villa filled with magical surprises.

Taro Okamoto visited Korea in 1964 and 1977. One wonders what sort of significance these two visits to Korea held for him. Before then, Okamoto encountered Jomon wares in 1951 and discovered within those shapes the primordial sense of vitality among the Japanese people. Afterwards, in 1957, he left on a journey across several regions in Japan to find the essence of Japanese culture for his serialization of the “Geijutsu Fudoki” (Topography of Art). It was in 1959 when he came across Utaki, the sacred areas in Okinawa, and contemplated the origins of interaction between the shaman and the gods. Also, beginning in 1962, he took yet another trip to various parts of Japan in order to write the “Shinpi Nihon” (Mysteries in Japan). Following these events, Okamoto visited Korea for the first time in 1964. Completing his journeys throughout Japan, Okamoto was growing interested in the deep relationship that has existed since ancient times between Japan and the Korean Peninsula. This was a perfect opportunity to travel to Korea. With this visit, he experienced the people’s lifestyles, discovered an honest way for human beings to exist by how people lived cheerfully and robust despite impoverishment, and became strongly attracted to the culture and traditions of Korea. In his visit to Korea in 1977, he embraced his interest in the masked theatre and shamanism. He also became drawn to the Changseung (guideposts) he encountered during his trip. The stones placed at the base of the wooden Changseung posts gave him a sense of the rich flow of culture that poured down from Northern Eurasia to reach Japan, including the culture of the scythia from the northern equestrian people and the Obo shrines of Mongolia. Along with Okamoto’s photographs, this exhibition also introduces many documents, videos, and materials, including household tools and masks. This is a way to trace Okamoto’s steps during his travels, reveal his encounters in Korea, and show the deep, personal impressions he had of Korean culture and the lifestyles of its people. [Image: "Changseung" (1977) photo by Taro Okamoto]

The Contemporary Art Center at Art Tower Mito (ATM) is delighted to announce the first large-scale solo exhibition in Asia by the British contemporary artist Julian Opie. Known especially in Japan for his series of portraits and figures with semiotic visual language ever since his early career, Opie has been creating experimental works to tackle various important issues in contemporary art, including the relationship between painting and sculpture, original and reproduction, art and design, commodity and artwork, beauty and the everyday. Absorbing important notions and formats of modern art such as conceptualism, minimalism and pop, Opie has developed his own unique style. Appropriating influences from old master's painting to street signs, Opie's style has continued to transform throughout his career. In recent years he has created works based on pictures that he himself has taken, then modifies them with his hands and by computer. As a result, the details of models and landscapes are abbreviated and simplified, with thick and round lines and vivid color; only the essence of the objects remain identifiable. Julian Opie was born in London, United Kingdom in 1958. Within three years since graduating from Goldsmiths (University of London) in 1982, he was featured in several notable exhibitions at art museums and galleries in Europe, thereby gaining international recognition. His works have also been included in the collections of major museums, including the Tate Modern in London, MoMA in New York, and the National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo. He also received a prize in 2001 from Music Week CADS for his cover jacket illustration for the British pop music group Blur in 2000. Recently, he has been busy creating many public art projects in Europe, the United States and Japan. Opie's interests are not limited to Western art, but extend to Japanese art as well. He is well known as a collector of Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyoe) by Kitagawa Utamaro and Utagawa Hiroshige. In recent years, Opie has embraced the compositions and chromatic sensations of ukiyoe, transforming them into unique portraits and landscapes using contemporary devices for representation as well as computer and LED. At the ATM Contemporary Art Center, Julian Opie will present approximately 70 recent works, covering his major motifs, including portraits, figures, animals, swimmers, dancers and landscapes. The works are made from various colors, mediums and techniques, including animated films, silkscreen and stone sculpture, animating the white cubes of the gallery spaces. Throughout his body of works, the exhibition will show the whole range of Opie's oeuvre, which was previously only introduced fragmentarily in Japan. His sculptural works and LED animations will be installed in the public space of ATM, where they will welcome passers-by. This exhibition is one of the official events of UK-Japan 2008, and is organized by the British Embassy and British Council on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Amity and Commerce. Related Event: Special lecture "Faces talk - Julian Opie's portrait" Lecturer: Tamaki Saito (Psychiatrist) Date: August 2 (Sat), 2008 Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.) Venue: Workshop Room in ATM Contemporary Art Gallery Capacity: 80 seats Admission: Free (Exhibition ticket is required.) More talk events are scheduled for this exhibition. Please check out the museum's website for more information.

Trace Elements: Spirit and Memory in Japanese and Australian Photomedia features work by Australian artists Philip Brophy, Jane Burton, Alex Davies, Genevieve Grieves and Sophie Kahn together with Japanese practitioners Teiji Furuhashi, Seiichi Furuya, Chie Matsui, Lieko Shiga and Kazuna Taguchi. An exhibition that encompasses both the traditions and the innovations of photomedia practice, from black and white photography to interactive video installation, Trace Elements considers the ways in which contemporary artists are addressing the intrinsic relationship of photography to time, memory and the metaphysical association of the medium to phantasmagoria and the semblance of lived experience. Relating Programmes Open Forum "Part Past Part Present Part Fiction: Trace Elements" July 19th (Sat) 14:00-17:00 Conference Room (1 and 2) on the 7th floor in Tokyo Opera City bldg. Capacity: 180 seats Language: Japanese and English with successive translation. Admission: Free Please check out the museum's website for more information and other related events.

Hiroshi Asada (1931-97), who studied from Western old masters, produced many paintings with psychological aspects which reveal anxiety and obsession in daily life. This is his retrospective exhibition, including many significant works selected from the full-scale retrospective held at the Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto last year.

The search for an individual style has unfolded and evolved with great vigor throughout the history of modern and contemporary art. Consider the Impressionist artists such as Claude Monet and Pierre-August Renoir, who looked beyond traditional painting in search of new forms of art, or Paul Cézanne, whose work was a major influence on the birth of Cubism. Explore Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, constant leaders in 20th century art. Then there came the birth and evolution of Abstract art. Rethink Western-style artists in Japan who, while mastering the techniques and themes of Western art, struggled with the challenge of establishing, as Japanese artists, their own voices and styles. This exhibition of 180 paintings and sculptures from the Bridgestone Museum of Art collection offers a delightful stroll, room by room, through these historic developments in the world of art. [Image: Claude Monet "Twilight, Venice" (c. 1908)]

"Western Art - Impressionism to Delvaux" Works by Impressionist painters such as Monet and Pissaro, as well as Picasso and Delvaux. "Bewildering Landscapes" From works consisting of mirroring images and optical illusions to conceptually inquisitive paintings and sculptures. "Tiger Tateishi's Wonderland" Humorous world of Tateishi expressed in painting, printmaking, and design. "Kokuta Suda - Abstract World" Abstract watercolor paintings by Kokuta.