A Message from the Director General (for the Start of 2023)

Let me begin by wishing all of you a very happy new year.

Four years have passed since we began dealing with the novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of last year has upset the world’s political and economic balance, and led to even greater conflict and confusion. Due to these unforeseen global circumstances, museum administrators are also confronting a new set of problems, which have been greatly influenced by soaring shipping costs and lighting and fuel expenses, and the depreciation of the yen among other things.

Although conditions such as these make it difficult to paint a bright picture for the future, the National Art Center, Tokyo (NACT) is planning a number of exhibitions focusing on positive themes over the coming year. First, in March, we present Painting Love in the Louvre Collections followed in July by LIGHT: Works from the Tate Collection, which considers the theme of light. Next, in September, we present a retrospective of Yves Saint Laurent, a designer who incorporated men’s styles into female attire, introduced the first women’s pants suits in the 1960s, and revolutionized women’s fashion. Underlying all of these exhibitions is a message rooted in beauty, tolerance, hope, change, challenge, diversity, and a boundary-crossing perspective.

This year also sees two exhibitions, NACT View 02 Nohara Tsukij Nezumikke and NACT View 03 Atsushi Watanabe, (scheduled for early spring and fall, respectively) that are part of a series showcasing young and mid-career artists in the Center’s public space.

In addition, an artist association’s exhibition opens today. This year a variety of groups will be going ahead with their exhibitions as planned, and in addition to displaying the fruits of their creative activities, we look forward to welcoming many visitors who were previously reluctant to leave their homes.

As in the past, we are also conducting a steady stream of educational activities designed to stimulate creativity, bring people into contact with each other, and encourage mutual understanding. In tough times such as these, it is all the more vital that we convey the importance of avoiding conflict to as many people as possible.

Osaka Eriko
Director General
The National Art Center, Tokyo
January 12, 2023