Roppongi, Tokyo. Tour the contemporary artworks on the top floor of skyscraper and be dazzled by the Tokyo scenery stretches out behind the artworks.
Art museum in Roppongi, Tokyo. Opened in 2003. The exhibition focuses on contemporary art. It includes paintings, sculptures, architecture, and installations. When the museum first opened, the policy was not to have any artworks in its collection, but it has changed to have one.
There will be no permanent exhibition, only temporary exhibitions. Artworks from the collection that are appropriate for the specific exhibition are used from time to time.
The unique feature of this museum is, it is on the top floor of a skyscraper. The exhibition room on the 53rd floor, the top floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, has an exhibition room with a view of the outside.
Take the elevator to the 52nd floor and stand in front of the entrance just before the escalator. The space with the high ceiling where the escalator locates is an excellent design. When standing in this space and look up at the top of the escalator, I am covered with some expectation. It is my favorite space.
When the museum opened in 2003, interest in contemporary art was on the rise. It began at the same time as the Yokohama Triennale (started in 2001), the Chichu Art Museum (opened in 2004), and the National Art Center, Tokyo in Roppongi and Suntory Museum of Art (both opened in 2007).
In Tokyo, the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art had already opened in Kiba (opened in 1995). However, its concept which contemporary art museum on the upper floor of a high-rise building in the city center and specializing in contemporary art was impressive.
The contents of the exhibitions vary. One characteristic is that the artists are international and diverse. This is my personal opinion, but when I hear the word, “contemporary art”, I tend to think of European and American artists. However, the special exhibitions at Mori Art Museum are not biased toward Europe and America. The works of artists from countries other than Europe and America, especially from Asia, are noticeable.
The following are the “artists who participated in the past 20 years” that were on display at the “20th Anniversary Exhibition: “WORLD CLASSROOM: Contemporary Art through School Subjects” held in 2023. A mapping is the following. It covers a very wide range. I list the authors whose names I personally consider to be well-known.
Matthew Barney, Donald Judd, Alex Katz, Roy Lichtenstein, Bruce Nauman, Isamu Noguchi, Georgia O’Keeffe, Man Ray, Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Yves Klein, Francis Bacon, Tracey Emin, David Shrigley, David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Edvard Munch, Ai Wei Wei, Leandro Erlich, Salvador Dali, Joan Milo, Francisco Goya, On Kawara, Tomoko Konoike, Yayoi Kusama, Mariko Mori, Yasumasa Morimura, Yoshitomo Nara, Chiharu Shiota, Hiroshi Sugimoto.
Most special exhibitions picks a certain theme. Exhibitions dedicated to specific artists are rare. This is a test of the museum’s curatorial abilities. What is impressive is that it does not seem like they are aiming for populism.
As for the special exhibition, there is an exhibition titled “Roppongi Crossing”, once every three years (triennale), bringing together the works of Japanese artists. I like this exhibition because it feels like art festivals held in various places are in Roppongi. It has held seven times from 2004 to 2022, and there is sure to be an artist that catches your eye.
When the museum first opened in 2003, photography prohibited, but now allowed. Also, there are many foreign visitors at this location, probably because people stopping by to see the observation deck at Roppongi Hills.
During my visit in the summer of 2023, more than half of the people walking inside the building appeared to be visitors from abroad. This point is also a feature of this museum. Note that previously, tickets for the observatory and Mori Art Museum could not be purchased separately, but now each ticket is separate (two separate tichet requires in case of visiting viewing deck and museum)
Visited many times since 2003.
Basic Information
■ Name : Mori Art Museum
■ Address : Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
■ Homepage :
https://www.mori.art.museum/en/
