Mori Art Museum in Tokyo Announces Exhibition Schedule for 2016

The Mori Art Museum is pleased to announce the three, major curated exhibitions in the fiscal year 2016. "Roppongi Crossing 2016," the 5th of the "Roppongi Crossing" series to the Japanese art scene once in every three years will set off the fiscal year, followed by "The Universe and Art," an exhibition with a grand theme of the universe, offering a panoramic view of 'the universe' of all ages and cultures, beyond times and genres. And lastly, an internationally-prominent, remarkable artist from India, N. S. Harsha will be featured in the Museum' s continuing series of solo exhibitions by Asian mid- career artists. * All of the FY 2016 exhibition titles are subject to revision and to be finalized.

? FY 2016 Exhibition Schedule (Major Curated Exhibitions) "Roppongi Crossing 2016"

Saturday, March 26 - Sunday, July 10, 2016

"The Universe and Art"
Saturday, July 30, 2016 - Monday, January 9, 2017

"N.S.Harsha"
Saturday, February 4 - Sunday, June 11, 2017

ROPPONGI CROSSING 2016 (TITLE TBD) Period: March 26 [Sat] - July 10 [Sun], 2016

Venue: Mori Art Museum, 53F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Organizer: Mori Art Museum
Curated by: Araki Natsumi (Curator, Mori Art Museum)

Kim Sunjung (Director of Samuso | Director, Asian Culture Information Agency, Asian Cultural Complex) Ozawa Keisuke (Curator | Arts Initiative Tokyo [AIT])
Wu Dar-Kuen (Director of Taipei Artist Village)

"Roppongi Crossing" overviews of the Japanese art scene have been held every three years since 2004, with guest curators joining a curator from the Mori Art Museum to discuss and select the participating artists each time.

The last of "Roppongi Crossing" series, in 2013, was the first to include overseas curators on the team, adding some different perspectives on the Japanese art scene. For this 5th edition, Japanese curators will be joined by curators from Korea and Taiwan. "Roppongi Crossing 2016" will take a comprehensive look at Japan's contemporary art via the myriad opinions and methods of curators and artists, and examine topical social and artistic themes.

THE UNIVERSE AND ART (TITLE TBD) Period: July 30, 2016 [Sat] - January 9, 2017 [Mon]

Venue: Mori Art Museum, 53F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Organizer: Mori Art Museum
Curated by: Nanjo Fumio (Director, Mori Art Museum)

Tsubaki Reiko (Associate Curator, Mori Art Museum)

The universe has been a great mystery, and the object of worship and study throughout human history. Myriad mythologies and religious worldviews have depicted the universe in terms of their own cosmic schemes, while dreams of what lies beyond our own world have spawned innumerable stories: one noteworthy example being Taketori Monogatari (The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter), Japan's oldest extant piece of narrative prose, which depicts the interaction between human beings and the moon maiden Princess Kaguya.

On a more scientific note, it is now over half a century since man first ventured into space. In the intervening years we have succeeded in landing on the moon, and stationing six astronauts on an International Space Station orbiting the Earth. In the not-too-distant future, space travel could be accessible to all.

The exhibition will begin by asking "How have humans through the ages viewed the universe?" and go on to examine our latest images of the universe based on modern science, plus space travel and the possibility of extraterrestrial life, presenting a variety of masterpieces and other material including famous cosmologies from times and locations across the globe; valuable astronomical material, and contemporary art representations of a multidimensional, wonder-filled cosmos. Where did we come from, and where are we going? "The Universe and Art" will offer visitors a fresh, future-oriented look at the universe and humanity.

N.S.Harsha (TITLETBD)
Period: February 4 [Sat] - June 11, 2017 [Sun]

Venue: Mori Art Museum, 53F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Organizer: Mori Art Museum
Curated by: Kataoka Mami (Chief Curator, Mori Art Museum)

N. S. Harsha was born in 1969 in southern India' s ancient capital Mysore, where he continues to reside and pursue his artistic practice. India' s fast-paced economic development and urbanization in recent years has also raised the international profile of its contemporary art, and over the past decade N. S. Harsha has presented his work at numerous international exhibitions. Simultaneously, he has carved out his own highly idiosyncratic place in the world by engaging frankly with the diversity of 'life' around him, from the traditional culture and natural environment of southern India, to the everyday relationships between people, flora and fauna.

Encompassing Harsha' s major works since 1995, this first mid-career retrospective will explore themes running consistently through his practice, such as the absurdity of the real world, representation and abstraction, and repeating images. The exhibition will be one in a continuing series of solo exhibitions at the Mori Art Museum featuring mid-career artists from Asia, while showcasing contemporary art from rapidly developing nations and regions such as China, Africa, India and the Middle East.

N. S. Harsha

Born 1969 in Mysore, India where N. S. Harsha still resides today. Received a Masters Degree in Painting from the Maharaja Sayajirao (MS) University of Baroda in 1995, and is a recipient of prestigious awards including the DAAD Scholarship (2012) and Artes Mundi Prize (2008). His recent major solo exhibition includes his solo presentation as part of the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program (2012-2013), "Nations" at Iniva, Institute of International Visual Arts, London (2009); and "Leftovers" at Maison Hermès, Tokyo (2008). He has participated in a number of international exhibitions such as the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (India, 2014), Moscow Biennial of Contemporary Art (Russia, 2013), Dojima River Biennale (Osaka, 2013); "Phantom of Asia" at Asian Art Museum (San Francisco, 2012); the Yokohama Triennial (2011) and the Bienal de São Paulo (Brazil, 2010).