Tokyo, the ultimate art city! Numerous cultural events punctuate daily life in the Japanese capital. Today, we're focusing on Roppongi Art Night, which is making its grand return this year after a three-year hiatus!
What is this about?
Roppongi Art Night is an arts festival that aims to promote art within society. Launched in 2009, the festival quickly established itself as a major urban art event. Art installations, music, performances, and discussions are held throughout the city of Roppongi, known for its numerous complexes, museums, and other art galleries. After the cancellation of the previous three editions due to Covid, the festival is finally back! And this year, Takashi Murakami (村上隆), one of the biggest names in contemporary Japanese art, will be both the main artist and the programmer of the event.
Who is Takashi Murakami ?
Considered the worthy successor of Andy Warhol, Murakami is known as the initiator of the contemporary art movement Superflat. This artistic movement uses the Kitsch and Pop Art facets of manga/otaku culture to analyze post-World War II Japanese culture and question Japanese society.
Murakami has created numerous characters, including Miss Ko2 and Mr. DOB, that reflect otaku culture. He presents them as intentionally kitschy sculptures. But his most iconic characters are undoubtedly the Murakami Flowers, those multicolored flowers with their big smiles. Murakami exhibits worldwide and is highly sought after by international brands and artists—as evidenced by his collaborations with Louis Vuitton, Kanye West, and Drake, for example.
Roppongi Art Night 2022 x Murakami
Murakami has chosen to honor the robot cat Doraemon, whom he considers the "greatest Japanese pop icon of the 20th century." The exhibition, planned for Roppongi Art Night, will unveil the largest sculptures ever displayed. In addition, numerous other artists selected by Murakami himself will also produce their own interpretations of this iconic figure of Japanese pop culture (M., Aya Takano, MADSAKI, Shin Murata, and Yuta Hosokawa, among others). Their works will be on display at the Roppongi Hills Arena, TOKYO MIDTOWN, and the Tokyo National Art Center.
Other exhibitions (this time unrelated to Doraemon) are also planned throughout the Roppongi district.
Practical information
Dates: September 17-19
As a precaution against the spread of COVID-19, and to avoid overcrowding, the 2022 event will take place over 3 days. Some exhibitions will be accessible in advance.
All the information about the official website
