Event Details
The Arts and Culture Committee is excited to announce our latest Art Trip to Gunma prefecture visiting Hara Museum ARC and Maebashi, a city energized by contemporary art.
Our excursion to Gunma will begin at Takasaki Station, just 45 minutes from Tokyo Station. At Hara Museum ARC in Shibukawa, Gunma, we'll experience a stunning blend of art and nature atop a hill designed by architect Arata Isozaki. Originally established in 1988 as an annex to The Hara Museum of Contemporary Art in Shinagawa (now closed), ARC boasts an impressive collection featuring works by Andy Warhol, Yayoi Kusama, Yoshitomo Nara, and Morimura, alongside early modern Japanese and Chinese art collected by Meiji-era industrialist Rokuro Hara. The highlight will be visiting their art storage room, showcasing pieces not typically displayed.
After lunch at Hara Museum ARC, we'll journey by bus to Maebashi, the capital of Gunma Prefecture. Once thriving due to the silk industry, Maebashi faced a population decline after 2000, leading to shuttered streets and vacant spaces. However, efforts led by Maebashi native Hitoshi Tanaka, founder of the eyewear brand Jins, have brought new life to the city through art. We'll explore the revitalized areas around The Shiroiya Hotel, a historic inn dating back 300 years, now renovated by architect Sou Fujimoto and reopened in 2020. Collaborations with contemporary artists like Hiroshi Sugimoto can be seen throughout the hotel. Additionally, we'll visit Arts Maebashi and Maebashi Galleria, home to world-class galleries, a restaurant, and residential spaces.
- Date: Sunday, September 29, 2024
- Time: 10am – 17:30pm
- Price per participant: ￥25,000 per person
- Museum entrance tickets, lunch, and bus transportation during the trip are included.
- Transportation to Takasaki Station: Participants are responsible for their travel to and from Takasaki Station. Bus transport is available during the journey.
- For more information:
- Hara Museum ARC: https://www.haramuseum.or.jp/en/arc/
- Shiroiya Hotel: https://www.shiroiya.com
- Tokyo Weekender article on Shiroiya Hotel: https://www.tokyoweekender.com/art_and_culture/arts/shiroiya-hotel-maebashi/
- Arts Maebashi: https://www.artsmaebashi.jp/en/?page_id=24
- Maebashi Galleria: https://www.towndevelop.jp/about-maebashigalleria
