We discover the Artizon Museum in the company of one of its curators, Anna Ueda. Located right in the center of Tokyo, the museum occupies since 2020 six floors within Museum Tower Kyobashi, an impressive skyscraper heralding the area’s new positioning as an art hub.
The Artizon Museum takes the place of the Bridgestone Museum of Art, which opened its doors in 1952 to present the outstanding collection of Shojiro Ishibashi, who acquired works of art for half a century. A new era began in 2020, when the museum inaugurated an entirely new building, thus doubling its gallery space, and adopted the name Artizon (coined by combining the words ‘art’ and ‘horizon’). Today the museum continues to actively collect, expanding its scope in several areas, among them traditional Japanese painting, works by female artists and contemporary art.
Curator Anna Ueda takes us on a tour that illustrates the breadth and quality of the collection, as well as the allure of the museum’s design. As the video progresses, we catch glimpses of the following works of art:
KISHIDA Ryusei, Portrait of Reiko (detail), 1922, tempera on canvas
Pierre-Auguste RENOIR, Mlle Georgette Charpentier Seated (detail), 1876, oil on canvas
Claude MONET, Twilight, Venice (detail), c. 1908, oil on canvas
KOGA Harue, Beautiful Fair, 1926, watercolor on paper
KOGA Harue, Innocent Moonlit Night, 1929, oil on canvas
Jackson POLLOCK, Number 2, 1951 (detail), 1951, oil on canvas
ENKU, Buddhist Image, Edo period, 17th century, carved wood
Camille PISSARRO, Four Seasons. The Autumn, 1872, oil on canvas
In the room fitted with tatami, Anna presents the work of MARUYAMA Okyo,
Puppies in Bamboo Bush, Ducks on Waves. This was painted in the 18th century, during the Edo period, with sumi (ink) and light colour on paper. Then she discusses Mont Sainte-Victoire and Château Noir by Paul CÉZANNE, an oil painting from c. 1904-1906.
The next painting chosen by Anna is by AOKI Shigeru. Dating from 1904, this is an oil on canvas titled A Gift of the Sea. We can also see by the same artist Empress Komyo, a painting from 1906.
As illustrations of Western modern art in the collection, the video shows
Claude MONET, Twilight, Venice, c. 1908, oil on canvas
Édouard MANET, Self-Portrait, 1878-79, oil on canvas
Anna then talks about Three Linden Trees by Wassily KANDINSKY, an oil on board dating from 1908. As Anna and Sophie consider the architecture and design of the museum, the marble sculpture behind them is Victoria by Christian Daniel RAUCH, dating from the 19th century. We catch glimpses of pieces of furniture made of steel mesh: these were designed by iconic 20th century designer KURAMATA Shiro. The striking sofa Anna and Sophie sit on is titled How High the Moon.
In the gallery specifically designed for the display of traditional Japanese art, we can see the following artworks:
Artist Unknown, Detached Segment from the Battle at Rokuhara Scroll of the Tale of the Heiji Rebellion, Kamakura period, 13th century, colour on paper
Artist Unknown, Detached Segment from Caricatures of Animals, Heian period, 12th century, sumi (ink) on paper
TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi, Letter, Azuchi-Momoyama period, 16th century, sumi (ink) on paper
AOKI Mokubei, Bridge across a Ravine in Autumn, Edo period, 19th century, sumi (ink) and light colour on paper
SAKAI Hoitsu, SUZUKI Kiitsu, Summer, from the Twelve Months, Edo period, 19th century, colour on silk
While Anna explains that the museum has been acquiring works by women artists, two paintings illustrate her point:
Mary CASSATT, Augusta Reading to Her Daughter, 1910, oil on canvas
Berthe MORISOT, Woman and Child on the Balcony, 1872, oil on canvas
The digital collection wall Anna introduces at the end of the video was created for the Artizon Museum by teamLab.
The Artizon Museum aims to be accessible to all and provides a lot of information in English. Its official app presents information on the museum and its collection as well as a free audio guide. The View Deck offers visitors a space to relax and take a break between galleries, while the Info Room presents a wealth of information about the collection.
This video was shot during the exhibition, Place and Piece: Where was this work displayed, who loved it, and why is it here now?