Press Release
How has Italian art from the 20th century been collected in Japan? How was the collection received inJapan then? While asking these questions in the context of the 21st century, we try to bring to light therelationship between Italy and Japan at that time.
This exhibition sheds light on the 20th century, when the relationship between Italian and Japaneseartists began to change; the Japanese artists, who used to study with Western artists, started theirdialogues with Italian artists on an equal basis. We attempt to trace the roots of Italian art works thathave been collected in Japan to this day.
The exhibition begins with the dialogue between the Italian Futurists, Togo Seiji and Kambara Tai,followed by the friendship between Lucio Fontana and Takiguchi Shuzo, a representative poet and art
critic in postwar Japan. Subsequently, we focus on their friendship which was expanded to the further
personal relationships, including Bruno Munari, Yamaguchi Katsuhiro, and the like. Through more than
100 artworks and documents, we aim to review the story of Italian art collection in Japan.

Featured Artists
I t a l y : Giacomo Balla, Remo Bianco, Umberto Boccioni, Giuseppe Capogrossi, Enrico Castellani, Lucio Fontana, Gruppo T,Enzo Mari, Marino Marini, Bruno Munari, and others
Japan: Abe Nobuya, Azuma Kenjiro, Kambara Tai, Miyawaki Aiko, Takahashi Shu, Takiguchi Shuzo, Togo Seiji, Toyofuku
Tomonori, Yamaguchi Katsuhiro, and others

General Information
Exhibition Title: Special Exhibition:
Venue: Fukuyama Museum of Art

Exhibition Period: April 6 - June 2, 2024

Hours: 9:30-17:00

Admission: 1,500 yen (1,200 yen) ＊Price in parentheses is for advance tickets or paid groups of 20 or more.
＊Free for high school students and younger
Organizers: Fukuyama Museum of Art, Fukuyama City, Chugoku Shimbun Bingo Headquarters
Supporters: Japan Ministry of Foreign Aﬀairs, Embassy of Italy in Japan, Italian Cultural Institute - Osaka, Japan-Italy Association,Hiroshima Japan-Italy Association
Contact: Fukuyama Museum of Art, Curatorial Division, Koike Kumiko (Public relations), Tsutsui Aya (Curator of this exhibition)
Address: 2-4-3 Nishimachi, Fukuyama City, Hiroshima, Japan, 720-0067
TEL: +81⁻84-932-2445 FAX: 084-932-2347
Email: art2@city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp

Highlights
１． Looking Back on Japan-Italy Exchanges Through the “20th Century Italian ArtCollection,” the Highlight of the Fukuyama Museum of ArtFukuyama Museum of Art currently has a collection of more than 100 Italian art works,
including those brought to Japan in the 1950s and 1960s. Mainly focusing on these artworks,
this exhibition examines how the Japanese people then received the 20th-century Italian art.

２． The 20th-Century Italian Art Collections in Japan Gathers in Fukuyama!
Italian art collection shown here come from all over Japan, including not only art museums but
also local companies in Niigata. Interestingly, Italian art works were collected in Niigata due to thecommon motivations shared by artists, galleries, and collectors in the 1960s. They aimed tointroduce international art movements like Italian art to Niigata, in order to culturally contribute totheir native town. Even from today's perspective, it seems clear that such an attitude shows astrong will to disseminate their attempt from the region to the whole of Japan and ultimately tothe world.

３． Tracing Postwar Japanese Art From the Perspective of ItalyAfter the war, the door to overseas reopened in Japan. Individual artists began to interact witheach other internationally. Takiguchi Shuzo, followed by other young Japanese artists, traveled toItaly. Their footsteps allow us to trace how these Japanese evaluated contemporary Italian art
and reconsidered their own “Japanese” identity.

４． Valuable Items on Display for the First Time!
In Italy, it was a custom for artists to give each other their own works as gifts. Due to this, thoseworks by Japanese artists have remained in the hands of Italian artists, and vice versa. Along withthese works, handwritten letters that convey the latest news from each writer are displayed inthis exhibition. Some of them are displayed for the ﬁrst time in public exhibitions. Mainly focusing
on the documents previously owned by Takiguchi Shuzo, the personalities of each artist will
emerge more clearly.

Structure of the Exhibition
Chapter 1: The First Step ― Futurism in Italy and Japan
Contemporary exchanges between Japan and Italy became realized when traveling abroad from Japancame to be possible in the 20th century. As the ﬁrst example, this chapter focuses on the art movement“Futurism” that arose in Italy in the 1920s. Japanese artist Togo Seiji went to Italy and participated in theItalian Futurist exhibition, and Kambara Tai, who exchanged letters and documents with Filippo T. Marinetti.
Works to be exhibited• Giacomo Balla,, Fukuyama Museum of Art• Umberto Boccioni,, 1914, Fukuyama Museum of Art• Togo Seiji,, 1922, Nagoya City Art Museum• Kambara Tai,, 1923, Ohara Museum of Art, Kurashiki

Giacomo Balla,, 1915, Fukuyama Museum of Art

Chapter 2: Fontana and Takiguchi Shuzo
After the World War II, more Japanese than ever visited Italy for various reasons, such as travel and study.
Among them is Takiguchi Shuzo, a representative poet and art critic in postwar Japan. In 1958, he traveledthroughout Europe, and established personal relationships with contemporary Italian artists, including Lucio
Fontana and Bruno Munari. Some other Japanese artists, either traveling or living in Italy, visited the studiosof Italian artists as well. In some cases, they gave their artworks each other as a souvenir of such exchanges.
Works to be exhibited• Lucio Fontana,, 1961, Fukuyama Museum of Art• Giuseppe Capogrossi,, 1955, Fukuyama Museum of Art• Enrico Castellani,, 1964, Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art / The Niigata Bandaijima Art Museum• Marino Marini,• Miyawaki Aiko,• Azuma Kenjiro,, 1955, Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art / The Niigata Bandaijima Art Museum, 1960-61, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, 1976, Private Collection(deposited at Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art / The Niigata Bandaijima Art Museum)

Chapter 3: Spatialism Remains in Niigata

Enrico Castellani,, 1964,Niigata Prefectural Museum of Modern Art /The Niigata Bandaijima Art Museum

Currently, there is a large collection from 20th century Italian art in Niigata Prefecture. This is due to the eﬀortsof Niigata-born individuals in the art world—Abe Nobuya, an artist who lived in Italy for more than a decade,Yamamoto Takashi, then the owner of Tokyo Gallery, and local companies like BSN Niigata Broadcasting andDaiko Bank. They attempted to introduce international art movement to Japan. This chapter reconsiders theJapanese-Italian exchange from a slightly diﬀerent perspective than artists’ dialogue.
Works to be exhibited• Lucio Fontana,• Mario Schifano,• Piero Dorazio,, 1962, BSN Niigata Broadcasting (deposited at Niigata City Museum of Art)
, 1960, BSN Niigata Broadcasting (deposited at Niigata City Museum of Art)
, 1960, BSN Niigata Broadcasting (deposited at Niigata City Museum of Art)•
• Abe Nobuya,, 1964, BSN Niigata Broadcasting (deposited at Niigata City Museum of Art)

Remo Bianco,, 1963,
BSN Niigata Broadcasting(deposited at Niigata City Museum of Art)
courtesy of Fondazione Remo Bianco

Chapter 4: “Moving Art” in JapanThe focus of this chapter is Italian artists who have shown their works in Japan. In particular, it features Bruno
Munari and Gruppo T, both of whom participated in the avant-garde movement “Arte Progranmata.” Aiming
for “programmed art,” they produced works that could actually move or be operated. Electricity and motors
were also of their interests. With Takiguchi Shuzo’ s support, they organized exhibitions in Japan. It waswhen only a few Italian artists did so. Comparing the Italian and Japanese interests in movement, space, andlight, we will see diﬀerent attitudes toward them.
Works to be exhibited• Bruno Munari,, 1959/1973, NPO CCAA

• Bruno Munari,, 1985, NPO CCAA

• Grazia Varisco,, 1961, Tama Art University Art Archives Center• Yamaguchi Katsuhiro,, 1965, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo• Mario Merz,, 1972/1998, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Yamaguchi Katsuhiro, Relation of C, 1965,
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

Exhibition Catalogue
W ri tt e n by ： Ota Taketo, Iwaya Mutsuki, Tsutsui Aya
Published by ： rose des vents -- suiseisha
Price ： 3,300 yen (tax included)
ISBN 978-4-8010-0806-9

Purchase here http://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/site/fukuyama-museum/2861.html

About the Museum
The Fukuyama Museum of Art is opened on November 3, 1988 in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture. The museum's collectionincludes a wide variety of works, from modern and contemporary art to tea utensils and swords, with a total of about 3,300 pieces.
The collection policy is based on four component, and the museum's collection includes works by local artists from Fukuyama City,
Fuchu City, and Jinsekikogen Town, works by artists related to the Seto Inland Sea region, modern and contemporary Japanese art,and modern and contemporary European art, mainly from Italy.
There are very few art museums in Japan that feature Italian art, but our museum has placed Italy at the core of its collection because
artists with ties to Fukuyama, such as Takahashi Shu and Ketani Itto, had been based in Italy.
The museum was built on the western moat of Fukuyama Castle (the remains of the moat) which was recently renovated, and you
can view the castle from the second floor of the museum. It is conveniently located just a ﬁve-minute walk from the station.

Past Italian Art Exhibitions Held at Fukuyama Museum of Art
1990: Giorgio Morandi exhibition
1988: Opening

1997: Takahashi Shu－Painter with Collectors exhibition
1994:
Moments of Italian Pictures:2009: Italian Impressionism exhibition
Mysteries and Myths exhibition

1993: Giorgio De Chirico exhibition

2002: Afro Burri Fontana exhibition

1996:Enzo Cucchi exhibition

2015: Kinetic and Program Art in Italy 1958‒1968 exhibition

1989: Italian Figurative Sculpture in the 20th Century exhibition*Past exhibition catalogs can be purchased here.
Purchase here http://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/site/fukuyama-museum/2861.html