News Release
ATZ200602E_E_2

June 2, 2020
Ishibashi Foundation Artizon MuseumExhibition in Japan of the Japan Pavilion at the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia“Cosmo Eggs”
23 June (Tuesday) to 25 October (Sunday), 2020
The Artizon Museum of the Ishibashi Foundation (Director: Ishibashi Hiroshi) is delighted to announce its
upcoming homecoming exhibition of “Cosmo Eggs”, the Japan Pavilion’s exhibition (organized by the JapanFoundation) during the 58th Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition in 2019. First held in 1895, theVenice Biennale is a contemporary art exhibition held every other year in various locations in Venice Italy.
With its history reaching more than 120 years into the past, the Venice Biennale is the oldest and still one of
the most influential art events in the world. The Japan Pavilion was built in 1956, with funding provided by
Shojiro Ishibashi, founder of the Ishibashi Foundation. Given this deep historical connection, the Artizon ishonored to pay host to the upcoming homecoming exhibition.
“Cosmo Eggs”, first exhibited in the Japan Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition in2019, is a collaboration between four specialists from diverse fields – an artist, a composer, an anthropologist
and an architect – curated by Hiroyuki Hattori. “Cosmo Eggs” offers a space to explore themes of coexistence
and symbiosis between human and nonhuman entities. The exhibition at the Artizon is based on the original
exhibition in the Japan Pavilion in Venice, adapted for the Artizon exhibition space. In addition to the original“Cosmo Eggs” show composed as a symbiosis between video, music, word and space, the Artizon exhibition
will also introduce new elements such as previously not exhibited documents and an archive.

①Exhibition view, Japan Pavilion (photo: ArchiBIMIng / provided by the Japan Foundation)(for media use)

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Details & Highlights
1. Homecoming exhibition of “Cosmo Eggs”, first shown at the Japan Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale
International Art Exhibition
The homecoming exhibition reconstructs the “Cosmo Eggs” exhibition first shown at the Japan Pavilion
during the 58th Venice Biennale International Art Exhibition at the Artizon Museum in Tokyo.
2. About the Venice Biennale & the Japanese Pavilion
The Venice Biennale has a rich history, reaching back more than 120 years to the first international artexhibition in 1895 – making it the oldest international art exhibition in the world. Japan first participated inthe Venice Biennale in 1952, with its own national pavilion following in 1956, erected in the Castello Park
amidst pavilions by countless other nations. The construction of the Japan Pavilion was realized thanks toShojiro Ishibashi, founder of the Ishibashi Foundation. It is due to this deep historical connection that theArtizon finds itself honored to host the homecoming exhibition of the Japan Pavilion’s Venice Biennale show.
3. Curated by “Cosmo Eggs” curator Hiroyuki Hattori
Curated by Hiroyuki Hattori, “Cosmo Eggs” questions how human should live in relation to animals, inanimate
beings and regions on earth. We as inhabitants of Japan, a part of earth often stricken by natural and humandisasters, are invited to examine the role of humankind in the ecosystem of our planet, reconsider thepossibilities of coexistence between human and nonhuman beings, rethink the future of a growth-basedsociety which has reached its limits, and imagine different and new way of living.
4. Tsunami boulders: the origin of the Venice Biennale exhibition
The starting point for this exhibition is the “Tsunami Boulders” video project that artist Motoyuki Shitamichi
has been researching and documenting since 2015. Tsunami boulders are large boulders swept ashore fromthe depths of the oceans during large tidal waves. They can be found in diverse locations throughout theworld. Serving as a quasi-record of natural catastrophes, the tsunami boulders often become the object oflocal worship: they feature in countless tales and folklore. They also become resting places for colonies of
migratory birds or breeding grounds for insects. A unique and peculiar sight, they form a mixture of naturaland human cultures. Shitamichi likens these tsunami boulders, which may appear like comets or giant eggs,
to public forums or monuments.
5. A collaborative project between specialists from diverse fields
Based on Shitamichi’s “Tsunami Boulders” works, the “Cosmo Eggs” exhibition expands on the idea of their
existence as a forum. Through the collaboration with composer Taro Yasuno, anthropologist Toshiaki Ishikuraand architect Fuminori Nousaku, music and words begin to resonate in the quiet, calm visual world of thetsunami boulder, and a multitude of physical experiences unfolds in the exhibition space. Rather than a single
artist representing an entire country, “Cosmo Eggs” employs a group (a collective) of specialists from diverse
fields to try and provide a space in which to experience and reconsider fundamental problems ofcontemporary society.

Statement by curator Hiroyuki Hattori
Centered on the installation space that reconstructs the Japan Pavilion’s exhibition space, this exhibition atthe Artizon Museum provides once more an exploration of the “Cosmo Eggs” project, analyzing andannotating the original exhibition and introducing new elements created during the production process. Asthe original exhibition closely responded to the architectural space of the Japan Pavilion, we aimed to create
an exhibition that allows for the physical experiences and objective considerations by reconstructing theJapan Pavilion exhibition as on the stage of a theater production. Featuring all individual elements whichconstitute the original exhibition, the exhibition furthermore introduces objects and artifacts created asbyproducts of the Biennale exhibition as well as extensive documentation of the process between the closing

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of the Biennale to the opening of the Artizon show and thereby captures the “Cosmo Eggs” projects fromthe in-and outside.

Curator & Artist introduction
Exhibition curator:
Hiroyuki Hattori (b. 1978)
Curator and associate professor at Akita University of Art. Hattori engages in projects and exhibitions with afocus on Asia. He was the curator of the Aichi Triennale 2016 and co-curator of “Going Away Closer: JapanCuba Contemporary Art Exhibition” (Japan/Cuba, 2018).
Artists:
Motoyuki Shitamichi (b. 1978)
Artist. Shitamichi’s most notable works include the series “torii”, for which he photographed shrine gateremnants (“torii”) from Japan’s former colonies, and the “Tsunami Boulder” project, which photographicallyrecords large boulders carried onshore from the seafloor during large tsunamis.
Taro Yasuno (b. 1979)
Composer. Yasuno’s composition and media art projects often include collaborations with other artists. His“Zombie Music” series features a multitude of recorders played automatically through machines and artificial
airflow.
Toshiaki Ishikura (b. 1974)
Anthropologist and associate professor at Akita University of Art. Specializing in religion and mythology,
Ishikura engages in numerous projects that connect anthropology with contemporary art, often incollaboration with artists.
Fuminori Nousaku (b. 1982)
Architect. In addition to his architectural works, Nousaku also engages in creating artworks and spatialinstallations. In 2016, Nousaku contributed to the Japan Pavilion at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale,earning a Special Mention Award.

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Exhibition Overview
Title:
Organizer:
Venue:
Exhibition period:
Opening hours:
Admission (tax included):

Exhibition in Japan of the Japan Pavilion at the 58th Japan Pavilion
at the 58th International Art Exhibition International Art Exhibition – La Biennale
di Venezia “Cosmo-Eggs”
Artizon Museum, Ishibashi Foundation / The Japan Foundation
Technical realization in cooperation with Canon Marketing Japan Inc.
5F Gallery
June 23 (Tuesday) to October 25(Sunday), 2020
10:00 – 18:00 (20:00 on Fridays/ suspended until further notice)* Last admission 30 minutes before closing.
Closed on Mondays (open 10 August, 21 September), 11 August, 23 September
Online reservation available beginning Wednesday, June 3
Online reservation: 1,100 Yen / Same-day ticket (available at ticket counter):
1,500 Yen/ Student discount: free admission for students (online reservationrequired)
Same-day tickets at ticket counter only available if online
reservation tickets have not been sold out. (No reservation required for
middle-school students and younger.)*Tickets include admission to the two concurrent exhibitions described below

Curator: Hiroyuki Hattori (associate professor at Akita University of Art)
Artists: Motoyuki Shitamichi (artist), Taro Yasuno (composer), Toshiaki Ishikura(anthropologist, associate professor at Akita University of Art), Fuminori
Nousaku (architect, associate professor at Tokyo Denki University)

Concurrent Exhibitions
・Jam Session: The Ishibashi Foundation Collection × Tomoko Konoike
Tomoko Konoike: FLIP (6F Gallery)
・Selections from the Ishibashi Foundation Collection, Special Section
New Acquisitions: The Paul Klee Collection (4F Gallery)
・Selections from the Ishibashi Foundation Collection, Special Section
Women Impressionists (4F Gallery)

Artizon Museum

1-7-2 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031, Japan
Tel. 03-5777-8600 (Hello Dial)
www.artizon.museum

Access5 minutes on foot from JR Kyobashi Station (YaesuCentral Exit); Tokyo Metro Ginza Line Kyobashi Station(Exit 6 or Exit 7); or Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Tozai
Line / Toei Asakusa Line Nihombashi Station (Exit B1).

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Images for Press use* If including only one image, use the main visual ① shown on page 1.
* Include image credits as provided below.
* Do not trim images or overlay them with text.
②③②,③Exhibition view, Japanese Pavilion (photo: ArchiBIMing / Provided by the Japan Foundation)④⑤④Motoyuki Shitamichi, “Tsunami Boulder”(2015–)⑤Curator and artists (from left): Motoyuki
Shitamichi, Fuminori Nousaku, Hiroyuki
Hattori, Toshiaki Ishikura, Taro Yasuno(photo: Nozomi Takahashi)

For inquiries about this press release:

Artizon Museum Second Exhibition PR Office (within OHANA, Inc.)
Contacts: Takahashi, Hosokawa, Senō
Tel.: 03-6869-7881 Fax: 03-6869-7801
E-mail: artizon-pr@ohanapr.co.jp
Risona Kudan Bldg, 5F
1-5-6 Kudan Minami, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0074, JapanFor general inquiries related to the Artizon Museum,please contact
Artizon Museum Public Relations Dept.
E-mail: artizon-pr@artizon.jp
1-7-2 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0031, Japan

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Entry to the Artizon Museum uses the designated entry system by date and time.
Tickets must be purchased in advance from the museum website.
Ticket price (incl. tax)
GeneralOn-line
ticketJPY 1,100

Same dayticketJPY 1,500

Those
presenting
disabled
persons’
handbookChildren through junior highschool

Free entry—Advanced booking
requiredFree entry—Advanced booking
not required(Prior notification required forgroups of 10 or more)

University, college,high school
students*On-line tickets must be purchased up to 10 minutes before the end of each time slot.
*Same day tickets on sale at museum are available only for time slots that have not reached full capacity.

Designated entry system by date and time

The designated entry system by date and time is designed so that visitors may enjoy a more comfortableviewing experience. Please purchase your tickets for an entry time slot for the day you will visit, as shown
below, and make sure you enter the museum within that time slot.
①10:00 ‒11:30 ②12:00 ‒13:30 ③14:00 ‒15:30 ④16:00 ‒17:30○You may enter at any time within the designated time slot.
○Once you enter the museum, your ticket is valid for the rest of the day; you may stayand enjoy the exhibition until the museum closes.

○At the start of each entry time slot, the museum may be crowded. You may be asked
to wait before entering the museum. We recommend arriving for entry slightly after
the start of your time slot.

On-line designated entry time ticket purchase○Tickets go on sale June 3, 2020 (Wednesday)
Tickets must be purchased from the museum website (www.artizon.museum) by clicking
on the Ticketing link and selecting the date and time slot when you wish to enter.
○Tickets must be purchased up to 10 minutes before the end of each time slot.
○Major credit cards are accepted for payment.

Delivery of on-line designated entry time ticket and entry to the museum
After you have purchased your ticket, an E-mail will be sent to your designated E-mail address. Please accessthe QR code and download it onto your smartphone. You can also print out the QR code and bring the paperwith the print out with you when you visit the museum.

Same day ticket sales
Tickets are available only for time slots that have not reached full capacity; they can be purchased on 1F ofthe museum.

Advanced booking• Entry is free for university and college students and high school students, but advanced booking of theentry time slot is required. Each student must present a student ID upon entrance to the museum.

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• Children through junior high school age are admitted for free. No advanced booking is required.
• Entry is free for disabled visitors (plus one accompanying assistant), but advanced booking of the entry
time slot is required. Disabled visitors must present their disabled persons handbook upon entrance tothe museum.
Group Entry to the museum
For groups of 10 or more children through junior high school age, entry requires prior notification using theE-mail address below. If no notification is received, those groups may not be admitted to the museum if thegalleries are crowded.
E-mail: groupdesk@artizon.jp
Important information• Once your ticket purchase is confirmed, cancellation of the ticket is not allowed.
• Change of the time and date is available only once.
• There are no discounts for group tickets or for senior citizens.
• Entry is only allowed for the designated time slot.
• Resale of tickets for commercial purposes is not allowed.

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