- Luxury Apartments in Tokyo
- MORI LIVING Diary
- "Go-Betweens" Explores the World as Seen by Children
"Go-Betweens" Explores the World as Seen by Children
August 04, 2014
"Go-Betweens: The World Seen through Children" 2014/5/31-8/31
(Left)SAIESEO: between two Koreas and Japan series (2008–10) (Right) Sweet hours (2001–14) "Go-Betweens: The World Seen through Children"Installation view: Mori Art Museum 2014/5/31-8/31 Photo: Sakano Takaya Photo Courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
Aman Sulukule Canim Sulukule (Oh Sulukule, Darling Sulukule) (2007) "Go-Betweens: The World Seen through Children"Installation view: Mori Art Museum 2014/5/31-8/31 Photo: Sakano Takaya Photo Courtesy: Mori Art Museum, Tokyo
Tokyo has some really fabulous museums, and one that never fails to disappoint is the Mori Art Museum. What I love about this modern art museum (besides the fact that it stays open late) are its wonderfully curated, unusual and imaginative exhibits.
The current exhibit, entitled "Go Betweens: the World Seen Through Children" is no exception.
What I liked about this particular exhibit was the huge breadth of works and artists included, as well as the wide variety of themes.
While the title may suggest that viewers can expect a collection of playful or childlike pieces, many in fact also deal with serious subjects facing our society. But through their inherent creativity, children are able to overcome difficult realities and help us to see things in a new way.
As an example, the first gallery room includes photos of Japanese-American children who were interned in relocation camps during World War II. One portrait by Toyo Miyatake of three boys staring out from a barbed-wire fence was particularly powerful.
Each subsequent section of the exhibit explores another theme, including the freedom and isolation of children, adolesence, and the relationship between reality and dream worlds or imagination.
In this last section, Won Seoung Won's series entitiled "My Age of Seven" really drew me in to the point where I found myself examining at length every detail of the works, which were created by combining photographs of outdoor scenes and interior elements.
Through the duration of the exhibition, the museum will also be hosting a series of film screenings and artist talks, which seem like they will be very interesting. I hope to get to some of these events myself, and I recommend you do the same!
Kelly