THE ART of ART #2
2010年03月11日
One of the pleasant surprises Takamatsu City has to offer is a very beautiful multi-storied monolith that is the gallery. It’s an exercise in modern, clean design and one of the most visitor- friendly galleries I’ve ever been to. Walking in the entrance the spaciousness of the first floor is immediately calming and beautiful. Alright, OK, so lots of people just go to the annexes there to sit in the Miles Van der Rhoe ‘Barcelona chairs’ and snooze away the afternoons. But it looks a pretty attractive and cool idea to wile away hot summer lunchtime if you ask me …
Times: 9:30~7:00 weekdays. 9:30~5:00 weekends and holidays.
But to the point, it is a very modern, spacious and interesting place built in 1988 with mezzanine floors, resting rooms, great library and some super traveling exhibitions doing the rounds through the year. The Takamatsu City Gallery is plonked upon the most expensive piece of real estate in the city. Right smack bang in the very center of the CBD and this speaks volumes about the Japanese and their love of the arts I think. I have only one criticism of this place that I spend a lot of my time, and that is their interesting web page is only in Japanese, to wit, not very ‘other language friendly’. But this can be fixed with a bit of effort, as this is especially frustrating when one reads in Japanese about the non-exhibition art activities available for all the people living in Takamatsu to partake in and enjoy.
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/kyouiku/bunkabu/bijyutu/
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/sightseeing/sees/takamatsu-city-museum-of-art.html
Location map on the link above.
Another well designed and newish gallery built in 1992 is the Takamatsu History Museum and this is another startling piece of clever architecture, beautifully thought out and a joy to walk through. Again, they have some great exhibitions during the year but frequently with little if any information in English, (or any other foreign language) sorry to labor the point… It is very centrally located and right behind the large Anabuki Concert Hall and underground parking is a big help for drivers.
Last year’s exhibition on the changes in Japanese and in particular Kagawan’s lifestyle over the last 60 years was a winner. This featured a mock up of a kitchen from the 40s, working TVs from the 50s, comics and animation from the 40s, old technologies such as early cameras, videos etc. There were even some old stores built to replicate the atmosphere of the times.
In the permanent exhibition which features many Buddhist scrolls, objects of devotion and paintings (this really needs someone at hand to explain, as it’s esoteric stuff) but there is a reconstruction of a cabin from the “Hiryu Maru”. The cabin shows us how the lords of another age traveled by sea. Gee, I thought it would be pretty swank to travel like that even these days?
http://www.city.takamatsu.kagawa.jp/english/sightseeing/sees/takamatsu-history-museum.html
It’s a world-class facility without a doubt and five minutes on foot from the Takamatsu Station.
"Pat has lived in Takamatsu continuously since arriving here on a one year study and leave 1981. Originally from Tasmania, Australia, he was involved in education at a variety of levels including as a specialist teacher for children with learning difficulties, and at senior high schools throughout the state. Pat is employed full-time by the i-pal Kagawa International Exchange as a co-oridintaor for international relations amongst other duties including traveling to schools and giving talks in Japanese to kids about Australia. He has been involved with youth education exchanges between Japan and Australia for many years.
Pat has been many things in his colorful life including a seaman, helmsman, welder, carpenter, traffic warden, scholarship/studentship winner at the university of Tasmania, staff at the Australian Embassy in London to name but a few. Pat has far too many hobbies which include tennis, playing jazz flutes and saxes, riding bicycles with the Takamatsu Cycling Club all of which his long-suffering family tolerate. Recently he's become interested in painting again. His wife wishes he would put more time in to helping around the house and the garden which he artfully avoids ..."
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Posted by pat at 14:10
│art
