The Contemporary Artists Forum Exhibition "AURA — A One-Time Brilliance"
Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Starts in 6 days
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Artists
Agustin Spinetto, Tadashi Aono, Junichi Iwasaki, Wú Yīxuān, Won Youngsuk, Akiko Endo, Hideo Okuma, Kazumi Kato, Chizuru Kudo, Takashi Kurematsu, Toru Kobayashi et al.
The Contemporary Artists Forum is a collective of artists that operates independently from established genres and institutional frameworks, pursuing the “exploration of knowledge” under the principles of freedom of expression and presentation. This exhibition serves as a site for experimental and reflective artistic practices grounded in this philosophy, marking the 8th edition held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.
One of the defining characteristics of the Forum is its expansion beyond conventional categories such as sculpture, painting, and installation. It actively crosses disciplinary boundaries, engaging with fields such as the life sciences, natural sciences, literature, architecture, and music to explore new possibilities of artistic expression. Each work unfolds beyond existing categories, challenging the boundaries between perception, thought, and sensation.
This exhibition is presented under the theme “AURA — A One-Time Brilliance.” Aura refers to the subtle fragrance or radiance that emerges from living beings such as flowers and humans, as well as from material objects. The word originates from an ancient Greek term meaning “a gentle breeze,” and also carries the sense of an omen. In Japanese, it is closely related to the concept of ki—an invisible yet perceptible force found in words such as weather (tenki), illness (byōki), and atmosphere (kehai). The Noh master Zeami described this phenomenon as a “flower,” recognizing within it a brilliance of life that transcends time and space.
In contemporary society, as technological civilization advances, efficiency and rationality have increasingly come to replace human sensitivity and bodily awareness. This exhibition critically reflects on such tendencies, while seeking to revive the pulse of life once rooted in nature.
One of the defining characteristics of the Forum is its expansion beyond conventional categories such as sculpture, painting, and installation. It actively crosses disciplinary boundaries, engaging with fields such as the life sciences, natural sciences, literature, architecture, and music to explore new possibilities of artistic expression. Each work unfolds beyond existing categories, challenging the boundaries between perception, thought, and sensation.
This exhibition is presented under the theme “AURA — A One-Time Brilliance.” Aura refers to the subtle fragrance or radiance that emerges from living beings such as flowers and humans, as well as from material objects. The word originates from an ancient Greek term meaning “a gentle breeze,” and also carries the sense of an omen. In Japanese, it is closely related to the concept of ki—an invisible yet perceptible force found in words such as weather (tenki), illness (byōki), and atmosphere (kehai). The Noh master Zeami described this phenomenon as a “flower,” recognizing within it a brilliance of life that transcends time and space.
In contemporary society, as technological civilization advances, efficiency and rationality have increasingly come to replace human sensitivity and bodily awareness. This exhibition critically reflects on such tendencies, while seeking to revive the pulse of life once rooted in nature.
Schedule | May 4 (Mon) 2026-May 10 (Sun) 2026 Opening Hours Information
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| Fee | ¥500 | ||
| Venue | Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum https://www.tobikan.jp/en/index.html  | ||
| Location | 8-36 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8712 | ||
| Access | 7 minute walk from the Park exit of JR Ueno Station, 10 minute walk from the Ikenohata exit of Keisei Ueno Station on the Keisei Main line, 10 minute walk from exit 7 at Ueno Station on the Ginza and Hibiya lines. | ||
| Phone | 03-3823-6921 | ||
| Related images | Click on the image to enlarge it |
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