Video Collaborations by Charles-Eric Billard

Jul 3–30

Café Absinthe, Osaka

In his latest exhibition, Video Collabo- rations, Charles-Eric Billard explores the world of dance.

Two dance videos loops will be pro- jected on the walls of Café Absinthe: her mundane skies is a video shot in Takedao, Hyogo as an entry for a film competition; performance by buyou dancer Mamiko Sugaya and music by Jerry Gordon & Charles-Eric Billard.

Alien Strings was first presented at the Osaka Art Kaleidoscope, in March 2007; performance by contemporary dancer Yangjah & Charles-Eric Billard, Costume by Oh Haji, and Camera by Hiroshi Miyamoto.

The Closing Event on July 29th will feature videos by Daiki Murakami and others at 8pm, music by Kujaku Show at 8:30pm, and live slitar (home made instrument), at 9pm.

For more information, please contact: charles_billard@hotmail.com
Getting there: Shinsaibashi stn, exit 4, Moriwaki Bldg; 1-16-18 Kitahorie
Admission: Free
Open: Mon, Wed-Sat 11:30am–2am • Sun, 3pm-midnight
Tel: 06-6534-6635

The Art of Disney

From dumbo 1941 © disney

Jul 14–Sep 2

Suntory Museum, Osaka

It was surprising news to everyone: original pictures from early Disney animations were found in large quantities at Chiba University. Approximately 250 items of background art and conceptual art used in the production of such movies as Sleeping Beauty were found, awakening them from their 45 years of silence. These works were first shown to the public in 1959 in the US and in 1960, made their way to Japan. This exhibition will bring together 550 original drawings from Disney films including Snow White, Pinocchio and Sleeping Beauty and 350 related items taken from Disney’s Animation Research Library.

Getting there: Subway Chuo line, Osaka-ko stn
Open: 10:30am–7:30pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,000/¥700/¥500
Tel: 06-6577-0001

TICKET GIVEAWAY: Suntory Museum is giving away 10 pairs of tickets for this exhibition. To win these, send us an email with your name and complete postal address at giveaway@kansaiscene.com

The Little Prince Exhibition

Jul 18-30

Daimaru Kobe Museum, Kobe

The book “The Little Prince” has been translated into 160 different languages and has been read all over the world. The Author, Saint-Exupery (1900-1944) is known for his twin careers as pilot and novelist. Despite the book’s fantastical narrative, the novel has many metaphors. This exhibition aims to reveal the mysteries surrounding the novel and closely look at the author’s life and achievements. Displays include a moving image reproduction of the novel, sketches by the author and various copies of the novel in different languages.

Getting thete: JR/Hanshin Motomachi stn. Daimaru Dept Store 9F
Open: 10am–7:30pm
Admission: ¥900/¥700
Tel: 078-331-8121

Seiji Kunishima Exhibition: Layers-Wrapped Memories

Thru Aug 4

Gallery Mssohkan, Hyogo

The exhibition marks the second solo show for Kunishima since his return to Japan in 1998. Having based himself in the United States for the majority of his artistic career over the past three decades, Kunishima’s works are better known, as well as more widely collected abroad. The series Wrapped Memory spurred when Kunishima first tried to fix in resin an entire art magazine “Bijutsu Techo” in 1969 in order to capture the contemporary-ness of the era through art media that symbolized and metaphorically acted as a confluence of all current information and work. The series has become more and more versatile in the past 30 years in its choice of object and methodology but the pivotal thematic approach has remained unchanged. Often, the objects fixed in resin, or ‘resinated’ have been exhibition releases, newspapers and even expanded to everyday objects that the artist had become artistically attached to. The exhibition also features Layers, a contrasting thematic view of the artist. These are cast iron and aluminum in original moulds, carefully layered and also often amalgamated with other materials such as stone.

Getting thete: Hankyu Oji-koen stn, 3 min walk south from Aotani-bashi stop by 2 bus or 10 min walk north thru Oji-park
Open: 1–6:30pm, Closed Wed/Thu
Admission: Free
Tel: 078-802-8822

Kansai Art Listings July

ART section compiled by Maki Nibayashi