# Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka

Nakanoshima Museum of Art, Osaka (大阪中之島美術館, Ōsaka Nakanoshima Bijutsukan) opened in Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan in 2022. The museum is located in the central Nakanoshima district of Osaka. It is one of Japan's newest and most important art museums, with a collection of over 6,000 works of modern and contemporary art and design from the mid-19th century to the present day. Highlights include works by international artists such as Amedeo Modigliani, Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Frank Stella, as well as major Japanese artists such as Yūzō Saeki and Jirō Yoshihara, founder of the avant-garde Gutai group. Of particular note is the extensive collection of works by Saeki Yūzō, an artist with close ties to Osaka.

## Architecture

The building, designed by architect Endō Katsuhiko, is characterised by its cubic black façade and well thought-out architectural concept. A central element is a public 'passage' area that allows visitors free access and promotes the idea of making art an everyday experience. Inside, the exhibition spaces are spread over several floors and are complemented by modern facilities such as barrier-free access, a children's corner and catering facilities.
The museum is located on a sandbank between the rivers Dojima and Tosabori. The area has been an important centre of trade and commerce since the Middle Ages. The site of the museum was once the Hiroshima Clan's storage facility, including a harbour called 'Funairi' where ships could dock directly.
Following an open architectural competition (2016-2017), the design for the museum was selected and construction will be completed by the end of June 2021. The design combines a historical analysis of the site with modern urban requirements.
The building is a five-storey steel frame structure with a seismic base isolation system. The lower two levels are designed as open public spaces to create a seamless transition between the museum and the urban environment. The upper floors contain art-related spaces, arranged from the third floor upwards for flood protection.
The exterior design combines massive square facades with a topographical structure on the ground floor. A deck connects the building to the surrounding public spaces and a planned extension of the pedestrian walkways will contribute to the revitalisation of the area. The black exterior façade consists of 609 precast concrete panels with a mixture of Iwate Gensho stone and Kyoto sand. A special surface treatment ensures weather resistance and gives the façade a deep black colour. The interior is dominated by silver slats, which create a play of nuances with different light sources and colour tones.

## Collections

The collections of the Nakanoshima Art Museum in Osaka comprise approximately 6,000 works (as of April 2024; excluding loans), of which 5,000 were donated and 1,000 purchased. These are representative works of domestic and foreign art from the mid-19th century to the present. The collection includes Western paintings by Japanese artists, nihonga, modern European art, contemporary art, prints, photographs, sculpture, design and much more. Highlights include remarkable works by Saeki Yūzō, a nude by Amedeo Modigliani, works by Yoshihara Jiro, the founder of the Gutai movement, as well as masterpieces from Europe and America.
To date, more than 3,000 works have been loaned to over 800 museums, many of them outside Japan. Many valuable works have been added to the collection through loans. With the transfer of the Suntory Postal Collection (18,000 pieces) in 2012, which was added to the existing furniture and tableware collection, the museum has built up one of the largest design collections in the world.

### Saeki Yuzo

The Nakanoshima Museum of Art houses the largest collection of works by Saeki Yuzo (1898-1928). Saeki was born in Kita Ward, Osaka City, and attended Kitano High School (now Kitano High School of Osaka Prefecture). He studied at the Tokyo Fine Arts School (now Tokyo University of the Arts) and moved to France after graduating. He dedicated his life to painting Parisian cityscapes and died at the age of 30. Yamamoto Hatsujiro, an Osaka businessman and art collector, discovered the importance of Saeki's works. In 1983, Yamamoto's family donated 33 of Saeki's paintings that had survived the war to the city of Osaka. Today, the museum houses around 60 of Saeki's works, including those on loan.

### Paintings, graphics and sculptures

Osaka is a place where artists such as Koide Narashige, Akamatsu Rinsaku, Kitano Tsunetomi and Kitani Chigusa were very productive. The Nakanoshima Art Museum was opened on the site of the Gutai Pinacotheca, the headquarters and exhibition venue of the Gutai Art Association, one of the leading art movements of post-war Japan. The collection includes many works by the group's leader, Yoshihara Jiro, and other members of Gutai. The collection also includes works by outstanding artists from Osaka and the Kansai region, as well as contemporary Japanese artists from around the world. The art collection includes world-famous works of Western modernism such as a bronze by Alberto Giacometti (Le Nez), a nude by Amedeo Modigliani, and works by Jules Pascin, Moise Kisling, Giorgio De Chirico, Umberto Boccioni, Constantin Brâncuși and others.

### Design Collection

The Design Collection shows the development of modern design, which has evolved in parallel with trends in modern Western art, from the Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th century (including Charles Rennie Mackintosh), through Art Nouveau, the Wiener Werkstätte (including Koloman Moser), De Stijl (including Gerrit Rietveld) and Bauhaus, to the work of the Finnish designer Alvar Aalto. The Suntory Poster Collection, acquired in 2012, comprises some 18,000 items, including valuable works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Alfons Mucha.