Osaka 2.0

Nov 6–11

Soho Art Gallery Café, Osaka

Continuing with his explorations of the Japanese landscape and digital imaging, in Osaka 2.0 at SoHo Gallery Café, Gary McLeod presents 'old windows' onto Linden Lab's Second Life and more specifically its version of Osaka. Using the computer and its screen shot mode as an eye and a memory, the pictures on display are simple visual documents of a journey into this second Osaka that, thanks to technology, everyone can participate in. However, as Jonathan Crary wrote in 1994: "The inescapable yet continually evaded truth is that participation in the emerging information, imaging and communications technologies will never (in the meaningful future) expand beyond a minority of people on this planet." In light of modern interactive technologies and virtual worlds, Crary's words still suggest an ever-present Victorian sensibility supposing that some people are necessary to show the best of that other world to this world. The images on display here then are not the Japan of the late 19th Century, but they document a second world in the spirit of the first photographers that came here 140 years ago. Osaka 2.0 therefore draws attention to a Victorian eye in a postmodern and technologically obsessed world.

Getting there: Subway Sennichimae line to Tanimachi 9-chome stn, 3 min walk towards Nipponbashi or Sennichimaedori.
Open: Tue–Sat, 12–7pm; Sun 12–5pm O Admission: free
06-4394-7456
www.sohoartgallerycafe.blogspot.com


Sesamespace - Tree, woods, forest and green gum

Thru Nov 24

fabre8710, Osaka

The artist Sesamespace was born in 1973 in Mie Prefecture. She received a BA in 1996 from the Department of Aesthetics and Art History, faculty of Letters from the Otemae Women's University in Hyogo, and works and lives mainly in Osaka now. Her work is often in the form of video installations and video fashion shows, including video art that she began in 2001. Her work has taken an active role in the visually conscious art world. This will be her second solo show at the gallery, and will focus on her drawing, paintings and photo work.

JR Gakkentoshi line, Hanaten stn, 3 min walk
Open: 12–7pm Closed Sun/Mon/Holidays
Admission: free
06-6968-8535
www.fabre8710.com


Skin of/in Contemporary art

Thru Dec 2

The National Museum of Osaka

Works from eleven artists from Europe, Asia and the US that date from the 1990s to the present will be on display in an exploration of how contemporary art deals with the concept of skin. In contemporary art, countless artists have approached skin in a variety of ways - these include Orlan, whose performances are based on altering her own body with plastic surgery; Jan Fabre, who creates dresses by completely covering the body with insects; and Hayashi Tomoko, whose work deals with physical contact between lovers who are separated by great distances.

These artists focus on the delicacy of the skin and the nature of human existence through our relationship with the world, while also re-examining the problem of surface in art.

Getting there: Subway Yotsubashi line, Higobashi stn exit 2
Open: 10am–5pm Closed Mon and holidays
Admission: ¥830/¥450/¥250
06-4950-7555

The Great Ocean Voyage

Thru Dec 11

Kokuritsu Minzokugaku Hakubutsukan, Osaka

To celebrate its 30th anniversary this fall, the National Museum of Ethnology will hold The Great Ocean Voyage exhibition. The exhibition combines Vaka Moana, a traveling exhibition from New Zealand, with the museum's own Island Life Today exhibition that tells life stories of the oceanic world from the past 30 years. Vaka Moana, which means ocean canoes, explains the history of long-distance voyaging by Pacific peoples. It is a dramatic story from mythological times of the world's greatest marine exploration throughout the Pacific Ocean.

Getting there: Monorail Banpaku Kinen Koen stn, Inside Expo 70 Park
Open: 10am–4:30pm. Closed Wed
Admission: ¥1,000/¥550
06-6876-2151

Kansai Art Listings November

OSAKA

Works by Japanese avant-garde artists of the 1930s-50s

Osaka Shiritsu Kindai Bijutsukan Shinsaibashi Tenjishitsu
Thru Nov 25
Subway Shinsaibashi stn, Idemitsu Nagahori Bldg; 13F
Open: 11am–6:30pm Closed Wed
Admission: ¥500/¥300
06-6208-9096

Pterosaur Exhibition - Bones of Quetzalcoatlus, one of the largest flying dinosaurs

Osaka Shiritsu Shinzenshi Hakubutsukan
Thru Nov 25
Subway Midosuji line, Nagai stn, exit 3
Open: 9:30am–4:30pm Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,200/¥800

Ancient Chinese Instrument Exhibition

Osaka Ongaku Daigaku Ongaku Hakubutsukan
Thru Nov 30
Hankyu Shonai stn, Osaka
Ongaku Univeristy No.2 Campus, K-4F
Open: 10am–4pm Closed Sun/holiday
Admission: free 06-6868-1509

Mysteries of the Human Body

Shin-Umeda City Museum
Thru Dec 2
JR/Hankyu/Hanshin/subway Umeda stn, Umeda Sky Bldg; East Tower 5F
Open: 10am–5:30pm
Admission: ¥1,500/¥800/¥500 06-6440-3700

Skin of/in Contemporary art Exhibition

The National Museum of Osaka
Thru Dec 2
Subway Yotsubashi line, Higobashi stn, exit 2
Open: 10am–5pm. Closed Mon and holidays
Admission: ¥830/¥450/¥250 06-4950-7555

Autumn Exhibition of Asian Art

Fujita Bijutsukan
Thru Dec 9
Subway/Keihan Kyobashi, JR Osaka-jo Kitazume stn
Open: 10am–4pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥800/¥500/¥300 06-6351-0582

50th Anniversary of the Museum: Special Exhibition

Itsuo Bijutsukan
Thru Dec 9
Hankyu Ikeda stn, 10 min walk
Open: 10am–4:30pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥700/¥500/¥200
0727-51-3865

Masterpieces from Kurashiki Museum of Folk-craft Exhibition

The Japan Folk Crafts Museum Osaka
Thru Dec 9
Osaka Monorail Banpakukinenkoen stn
Open: 10am–5pm. Closed Wed
Admission: ¥700/¥450
06-6877-1971

The Great Ocean Voyage

Kokuritsu Minzokugaku Hakubutsukan
Thru Dec 11
Subway/Monorail Banpaku Kinen Koen stn, Inside Expo Park
Open: 10am–4:30pm Closed Wed
Admission: ¥1,000/¥550
06-6876-2151


KYOTO

Iwasaki Chihiro Exhibition: Watercolor Paintings

Bijutsukan "Eki" Kyoto
Thru Nov 11
JR Kyoto stn, Isetan 7F
Open: 10am–7pm
Admission: ¥800/¥600/¥400
075-352-1111

Carlo Zauli Exhibition

The National Museum of Modern Art Kyoto
Thru Nov 11
5 bus, Kyotokaikan Bijutsukanmae stop
Open: 9:30am–5pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,200/¥800/¥400/Free under junior high
075-761-4111

Kano Eitoku Exhibition

Kyoto National Museum
Thru Nov 18
JR/Kintetsu Kyoto stn, take 206 or 208 bus to Hakubutsukan, Sanjyu-san kando mae
Open: 9:30am–6pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,400/¥900/¥500
075-525-2473

Kawai Kanjiro Exhibition

Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art
Thru Oct 21
JR Yamazaki/Hankyu Oyamazaki stn
Open: 10am–4:30pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥700/¥500/free
075-957-3123

"Meiji Elegance" Exhibition

Namikawa Cloisonne Museum of Kyoto
Thru Dec 9
Subway Tozai line, Higashiyama stn
Open: 10am–4:30pm. Closed Mon & Thu
Admission: ¥600/¥500
075-752-3277

Kamisaka Sekka Exhibition

Hosomi Bijutsukan
Thru Dec 16
Okazaki, Saishoji-cho
Open: 10am–6pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,000/¥800
075-752-5555


HYOGO

Takeji Fujishima and Ryohei Koiso: Master and Pupil of Western Painting Academism Exhibition

Kobe Shiritsu Koiso Kinen Bijutsukan
Thru Nov 18
Rokko Liner Island Kitaguchi stn
Open: 10am–4:30pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥200/¥150/¥100
078-857-5880

From the Early Modern Age to the Contemporary: Theory of Aesthetics from the Museum Collection

Egawa Museum
Thru Nov 23
Hankyu Kotoen stn, 3 min walk
Open: 10am–4pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥600/¥400/free for HS and under
0798-51-3915

Kimura Chiseki Exhibition

Otani Memorial Art Museum Nishinomiya City
Thru Nov 25
Hanshin Koyoen stn
Open: 10am–5pm. Closed Wed
Admission: ¥500/¥300/¥200
0798-33-0164

Invitation to contemporary Ceramics: Japan and Europe Exhibition

The Museum of Ceramic Art,Hyogo
Thru Dec 2
JR Fukuchiyama line, Aino stn. Take bus to Hyogo Togei Bijutsukan
Open: 10am–7pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥800/¥600/¥400
079-597-3961

Birds from Around the World: Their Shapes and Colors

Japan-Mongolia Folk Museum
Thru Dec 4
JR Toyooka stn, bus to Shogenji stop
Open: 9:30am–5pm. Closed Wed
Admission: ¥500/¥300
0796-56-1000

Tea Containers & Natsume Masterpieces Exhibition

Kosetsu Museum of Art
Thru Dec 16
Hankyu Mikage stn, 5min walk
Open: 10am–5pm
Admission: ¥700/¥450/¥250
078-841-0652

Kawaguchi Tatsuo Exhibition

Hyogo Kenritsu Bijutsukan
Thru Dec 16
Hanshin Iwaya stn
Open: 10am–5:30pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,000/¥700/¥400
078-262-0901

The Three Great civilizations of Mesoamerica & the Central Andes: The World of Maya, Aztec and Inca

Kobe Shiritsu Hakubutsukan
Thru Dec 24
JR/Hankyu/Hanshin Sannomiya stn
Open: 9:30am–4:30pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,300/¥800/¥400
078-391-0035


Nara

The 59th Annual Exhibition of Shoso-in Treasures

Nara National Museum
Thru Nov 12
Kintetsu Nara stn, inside Nara Park
Open: 9:30am–5pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥1,000/¥700/¥400
0742-22-7771

Western style paintings by Japanese artists from the Taisho and early Showa Period

Nakano Museum
Thru Nov 23
Kintetsu Nara line, Gakuenmae stn
Open: 10am–4pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥600/¥500/¥250
0742-48-1167

Kyujin Yamamoto Exhibition

Shouhaku Art Museum
Thru Dec 16
JR Nara line, Gakuen-mae stnTake bus to Obuchibashi stop
Open: 10am–5pm. Closed Mon
Admission: ¥800/¥400
0742-41-6686

ART section compiled by Maki Nibayashi

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