Upcoming Exhibition

Hiroshi Sugimoto: From naked to clothed
March 31 (Saturday) - July 1 (Sunday), 2012

The Hara Museum of Contemporary Art is proud to
present a solo exhibition by the contemporary artist
Hiroshi Sugimoto.In his explorations of the medium of photography,
Sugimoto has won international acclaim for his many
works that shine light on the human race and the world.
We live in an age of easy alteration or retouching of
images through digital technology. Prior to the digital
age, however, Sugimoto had come to the realization that
the photograph was a thing of fiction and had investigated
the essential nature of the human eye by capturing the
world through the camera's eye. His subtle black-and-white
photographs are backed by artist's penetrating ideas and
superb technique, and his unrivaled images mesmerize the viewer.
At the center of this exhibition is the photographic series
Stylized Sculpture, which showcases the fashion of such
seminal 20th century designers as Gabrielle Chanel, Yves
Saint-Laurent and Rei Kawakubo. This series reflects the
vision of the artist who sees the history of clothing as
"being as old as that of humanity itself, " and who equates
the human body clothed in "artificial skin" as "modern
sculpture. " In these images, each of which was photographed
on carefully selected mannequins instead of live models,
the series hints at the significance that clothing has
for humans and delves into the relationship between clothes
and the human race.
In addition to this series, selections from Sugimoto's
Dioramas and Portraits series are included to further
delineate the history of the human race along the lines of
the exhibition's theme. Interwoven with these are Sugimoto's
design work for the Bunraku puppet theater and costume design
for Noh theater, as well as selected items from the artist's
personal art collection, which together comprise clues to
decipher the human body and what it means to be clothed
from Sugimoto's very special perspective.

Exhibition Details
Title: Hiroshi Sugimoto: From naked to clothed
Dates: March 31 (Saturday) - July 1 (Sunday), 2012
Place: Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
4-7-25 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0001
Organized by: Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
Sponsored by: Dom Perignon
Cooperation provided by: The Kyoto Costume Institute,
The Odawara Art Foundation, Gallery Koyanagi
Number of works: Approximately 30, centered around
15 works from the Stylized Sculpture series.

Related Events
*A special "Dom Perignon Evening" set for
two will be offered on Wednesday nights. Each person
gets one glass of Dom Perignon vintage 2003 and
two appetizers. A limit of five sets (for 10 persons)
will be available per evening. Reservations are required.
Please contact the Cafe d'Art for more details at 03-5423-1609.
*A half-hour tour by a museum curator will be given
in Japanese on Sundays and public holidays from 2:30 pm.
For English guide, please inquire.