【台日交流展】與莫內、畢卡索館藏同輝！台灣藝術家王穆提、廖純沂榮登日本MOMAS埼玉近代美術館《第49回埼玉現展》展出首位 - Poems of Light and Shadow within the Grids: The Architecture, Collection, and Humanistic Spirit of MOMAS (The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama) Written by: WANG MUTI

詳細內容: By RUMOTAN 編輯部; 三 01

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【台日交流展】與莫內、畢卡索館藏同輝！台灣藝術家王穆提、廖純沂榮登日本MOMAS埼玉近代美術館《第49回埼玉現展》展出首位
格柵中的光影詩篇：日本MOMAS埼玉縣立近代美術館的建築、館藏與人文精神撰文：王穆提（WANG MUTI）
Shining Alongside Monet and Picasso Collections! Taiwanese Artists WANG MUTI and LIAO CHUN-YI Take Top Display Positions at the 49th Saitama Genten at MOMAS, Japan
Poems of Light and Shadow within the Grids: The Architecture, Collection, and Humanistic Spirit of MOMAS (The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama) Written by: WANG MUTI
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Poems of Light and Shadow within the Grids: The Architecture, Collection, and Humanistic Spirit of MOMAS (The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama)

Written by: WANG MUTI

Foreword: Japan's Art Ark

Located in Kita-Urawa, Japan, The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama (MOMAS) is a sensory palace that perfectly blends the "symbiosis" architectural philosophy of Kisho Kurokawa (the designer of Japan's highest-tier National Art Center, Tokyo) with a world-class art collection. Constructed with rigorous geometric grids, this building dissolves the threshold of art through its transparency and openness. The moment visitors step inside, they embark on a journey of light and shadow through modern history. Since its opening on November 3, 1982 (Showa 57), it has not only been the artistic heart of Saitama residents but also a crucial landmark in the development history of Japanese modern art museums.

The most highly anticipated soul within the museum is undoubtedly Claude Monet's Haystacks at Giverny, Evening Sun. That afterglow capturing the eternal moment, contrasting with the dreamy poetry of Marc Chagall, the formal deconstruction by Pablo Picasso, and the surrealist dreams of Salvador Dalí, collectively establishes a solid foundation for Western modern art.

Within this context, the melancholic aesthetics of Moïse Kisling intertwine with the elegant, mysterious "milky-white skin" of Tsuguharu Foujita, showcasing the cross-border artistic appeal of the École de Paris. Meanwhile, Fernando Botero's humorous vocabulary, full of inflated volume, adds a touch of warm irony to the serious history of modern art.

Turning to the East, the grand vision of Taikan Yokoyama and the endless polka-dot universe of Yayoi Kusama form a strong tension within the space. At the core of the collection, Ei-Q, with his bold avant-garde experimental spirit, echoes the delicate Japanese aesthetics represented by Seiko Okuhara and Settai Komura, outlining a clear path of Japanese art moving from tradition to modernity.

What makes the museum even more commendable is its "sit-able art." Through Gaetano Pesce's exploration of organic forms and Shiro Kuramata's transparent poetry that seems to vanish in the air, famous chairs are no longer cold exhibits but designs with a temperature that the body can touch and sit on. Paired with the sculptural vitality extended outdoors by Masayuki Hashimoto and the spatial layout deeply influenced by Mirei Shigemori's landscape aesthetics, this museum is not just a container for masterpieces. It is an organism where art, architecture, and daily life harmoniously coexist among grids and greenery, radiating a unique intellectual brilliance on the international art coordinate system.

Unlike the closure and solemnity of traditional museums, it faces the public with an "open," "playful," and even "provocative" posture. The uniqueness of this museum lies in it being the first museum designed by the Japanese Metabolism architecture master Kisho Kurokawa, holding the globally rare reputation of a "Chair Museum," and its precise curation of "Saitama Painters" and Western modern masters.

Exhibition History (1980s – 2020s)

Since its opening in 1982, MOMAS has hosted numerous solo exhibitions. Here is a representative list of artists, categorized by era and genre:

1980s-1990s (International & Avant-Garde Foundations): Yayoi Kusama (early 1990s), James Turrell (1997), David Nash (1995), Ei-Q (1997), Donald Judd (1999), Jürgen Klauke (1997), James Gillray (1997), Yasushi Tanaka (1997), Luis Nishizawa (1998).
2000s-2010s (Crossover & Contemporary Aesthetics): Sadamasa Motonaga (Gutai master), Tiger Tateishi, Masayuki Hashimoto, Mirei Shigemori (Focusing on landscape design aesthetics).
2020s (Mature Retrospectives & New Generation Dialogues): Fumiaki Okabe (2022), Katsuro Yoshida (2024), Kazuyo Kinoshita (2024), Nerhol (2025), Yoko Yamamoto (2025), Tatsuhiko Yokoo (2025).
Permanent Features: Claude Monet (focusing on the Haystacks series) and Settai Komura (graphic design and bookbinding art).

The Philosophy of Architecture: Kisho Kurokawa and the Space of "Symbiosis"

MOMAS occupies a place in architectural history because it is the very first museum designed by world-renowned architect Kisho Kurokawa (1934-2007). This building is not just a vessel for displaying art; it is a massive modern artwork itself.

The Legacy and Transformation of Metabolism: Kurokawa was a core figure in Japan's post-war "Metabolism" architectural movement. However, when designing MOMAS in the early 1980s, his ideology had shifted toward the culturally profound "Philosophy of Symbiosis."
The "Grid": Abstract Infinite Extension: The most prominent visual feature is the grayish-white grid structure wrapping the building. Kurokawa used this Western symbol of rationalism, hollowing it out and extending it beyond the main body, breaking traditional architectural closure to imply an "unfinished" aesthetic.
Modern Interpretation of "Engawa" Space: Inspired by the traditional Japanese Engawa (the outer corridor of a Japanese house), Kurokawa designed undulating glass curtain walls and transitional spaces. It acts as an intermediate buffer, creating the experience of "strolling in a park and unknowingly walking into art."
Container of Light: The massive atrium acts as the heart of the building. Natural light cascades through geometric skylights, guiding the visitors' movement and turning the central staircase into a sculpture.

The Essence of the Collection: A Dialogue from Impressionism to Contemporary Design

MOMAS focuses on three clear pillars: Western modern masters, Japanese modern/contemporary art related to Saitama, and a unique collection of chair designs.

Western Masters: Monet’s Haystacks at Giverny, Chagall’s Double Portrait, Picasso’s Still Life, and Kisling's melancholic École de Paris paintings serve as a coordinate system to contrast the development of Japanese modern art.
The Soul of Saitama ("Urawa Painters"): After the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, many artists moved to the stable Urawa area, forming an artist colony. The museum systematically collects their works, including those by avant-garde pioneer Ei-Q (founder of the Demokrato Artists Association), the forgotten nude painter Yasushi Tanaka, and traditional Japanese painters (Nihonga) like Seiko Okuhara and Settai Komura.
"Sit-able" Art (World-Class Chair Collection): Known as the "Chair Museum," MOMAS breaks the "Do Not Touch" taboo. Visitors can sit on designer chairs scattered throughout the museum, such as Gaetano Pesce's Up 5 (Donna), Dalí's Mae West Lips Sofa, and Shiro Kuramata's How High the Moon.

Leaders and Environmental Art

Under visionary directors like Masayoshi Honma (who established the "open to the park" approach and chair collection) and Akira Tatehata (who promoted poetic curation and the Gutai group), MOMAS became a "plaza of thought." Furthermore, outdoor sculptures by Fernando Botero, Masayuki Hashimoto, and Mirei Shigemori blend with Kurokawa's grids and the park's greenery, fully realizing the ideal of a "museum without walls."

Conclusion: MOMAS is a living organism, continually "metabolizing" and "symbiotizing" with its surroundings. For any art lover visiting the Kanto region, sitting on Dalí's lip sofa, gazing at Monet's light and shadow through Kurokawa's grids, and feeling the cross-temporal resonance of art is an unmissable experience.

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文章索引

Poems of Light and Shadow within the Grids: The Architecture, Collection, and Humanistic Spirit of MOMAS (The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama)

Exhibition History (1980s – 2020s)

The Philosophy of Architecture: Kisho Kurokawa and the Space of "Symbiosis"

The Essence of the Collection: A Dialogue from Impressionism to Contemporary Design

Leaders and Environmental Art

The Definition and Positioning of MOMAS

Core Art Groups Exhibiting at MOMAS

International Exchange Exhibitions & Genten Related Activities (Selected Records)

Organizational & Curatorial History

現展相關展覽活動（列舉一二）：

國際交流展：

台日交流展

推薦產品服務 / Recommended Product Service

策展數據 / Curatorial Data

熱門數據 / Popular data

推薦展訊 / Recommended Exhibition

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