10 Things in Tokyo: July 2017

The Contemporary
Sunshower: Contemporary Art From Southeast Asia 1980s to Now is one of the summer’s most anticipated shows. Sprawling across Mori Art Museum and The National Art Center, Tokyo, this dynamic display of artists from 10 countries samples creative practice from a culturally diverse, rapidly transforming part of the world. Catch works by major figures like the Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul and rising stars such as Vietnamese multimedia artist UuDam Tran Nguyen, as well as recently reappraised masters like Filipino conceptual art forefather Roberto Chabet. Receive ¥200 off admission to this show with the museum coupon app MuPon. Ends October 23.

Junko Oki, a student of Setsu Nagasawa’s fashion design school whose work has been exhibited at the 21st Century Museum of Art, Kanazawa, is one of three finalists in this year’s Shiseido Art Egg series spotlighting promising artists. Oki’s hand-embroidered installations made with cloth inherited from her mother look like abstract paintings and stun with their elaborate stitching and untamed energy. Ends July 23.

The Traditional
Imari ware is a type of porcelain from Arita, Kyushu once shipped from the port of Imari to satisfy 17th-century Europeans’ insatiable appetite for the colorful pottery. Ko-Imari refers to an early form of overglazed Imari ware. Tucked away in a quiet residential area of Shibuya, the Toguri Museum of Art is home to one of Tokyo’s best collection of Japanese ceramics. See some of its finest examples of Ko-Imari through September 2.

The Cutting Edge
Born into a family of shrine carpenters in Gifu Prefecture, the Venice Biennale artist Toshikatsu Endo emerged on Japan’s avant-garde scene in the 1970s with massive sculptures integrating natural elements like soil, wood, and water. Since the 1980s he has used this vein of Primitivism to expand the ideas of Minimalism and Mono-ha with ship and casket-shaped works channeling mythological narratives. On July 15 the Museum of Modern Art, Saitama opens Toshikatsu Endo: The Archeology of the Sacred, a major retrospective and Endo’s first Kanto exhibition in 26 years. (Closes August 31).

Tetsuo Suzuka, co-founder of the motion graphics studio ANNY, creates works combining traditional Japanese art forms such as ukiyo-e and gold leaf painting with the latest image-processing technology. Singularity, named for the point at which artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence, shows at London Gallery Shirokane from July 8 until July 20.

The Photographic
Call it the summer of Araki. Over the next few months Nobuyoshi Araki’s photography will be featured in exhibitions of varying sizes and scopes around the city. One such homage to the man who has reveled in the thanos and eros of postwar Japanese life for over half a century is Photo-Crazy A. Showing at Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery July 8 through September 3, it presents new large-scale works documenting the artist’s life in recent years. MuPon.

Rinko Kawauchi, photographer poetess of light-filled moments that appear fleeting or on the verge of flight, has released “Halo,” a new collection of digital photography and her first publication since the pivotal “Ametsuchi” of 2013. The bookstore/gallery Morioka Shoten (relocated from Kayabacho to Ginza) displays prints from Kawauchi’s new series through July 16, while the photography-focused art bookstore Post/Limart in Ebisu screens some of her film work debuting in Japan.

The Fantastic
Looking for summertime entertainment for the kids, or just a bit of nostalgic indulgence for yourself? Why not start with The Art of Disney: The Magic of Animation at the National Museum of Science and Emerging Innovation (a.k.a Miraikan). Tracing the animation behemoth’s history all the way back to Mickey Mouse’s first appearance in 1928, this show of 500 original sketches, storyboards, and interactive displays explains the technologies that brought Disney classics to life. Ends September 24. MuPon.

The Yurakucho branch of home goods retailer Muji hosts regular craft and design exhibitions. The current mini-display on through August 27 features products by both Muji and the electronics maker/performance art unit Maywa Denki, know for whimsical items like book xylophones other “nonsense” instruments. In addition to a corner dedicated to the merchandise, there will be talks and workshops including an entertaining demonstration by Maywa Denki President Nobumichi Tosa comparing Muji and Maywa goods. (Saturday, July 8 17:00–18:30. Reservations required).

One more show for the young and young at heart: The World of Karakuri and Visual Tricks at the Kawasaki City Museum offers plenty of mischievous fun. This two-part exhibition of trick art ranging from optical illusions to automata toys to life-sized displays you can climb into focuses on the work of 3D art master Masashi Hattori. It also reflects on Japan’s long, proud tradition of karakuri (mechanical toy) craft, from its golden age in the 19th century up through Minoru Takahashi’s contemporary creations. Be sure to check the lineup of workshops and special events, too. July 8 through August 20.