Prism of the Real: Making Art in Japan 1989-2010

Period

September 3 (Wed), 2025 – December 8 (Mon), 2025

Closed on Tuesdays
*Closed on September 24 (Open on September 23)

Opening Hours

10:00-18:00 (Fridays and Saturdays, 10:00-20:00)
*Last admission 30 minutes before closing

Venue

The National Art Center, Tokyo
Special Exhibition Gallery 1E
7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8558

Organized by

The National Art Center, Tokyo, in partnership with M+, Hong Kong; Japan Arts Council; Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan

Co-presented by Nikkei Inc.

Curatorial Team:
Curatorial Director Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+
Curators Isabella Tam, Curator, Visual Art, M+; Jihye Yun, Curator, The National Art Center, Tokyo
Coordinating Curator Kamiya Yukie, Head, Curatorial Division, Chief Curator, The National Art Center, Tokyo
Exhibition Advisors Osaka Eriko, Director General, The National Art Center, Tokyo; Hayashi Sumi, Independent Curator

Admission (tax included)

TBC

Inquiries

(+81) 47-316-2772 (Hello Dial)

Aida Makoto, Matthew Barney, Guo-Qiang Cai, Christo, François Curlet, Dumb Type, Fukuda Miran, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, David Hammons, Pierre Huyghe, Ishiuchi Miyako, Joan Jonas, Kasahara Emiko, Kawamata Tadashi, Kazama Sachiko, Koizumi Meiro, Lee Bul, Miyajima Tatsuo, Mori Mariko, Morimura Yasumasa, Murakami Takashi, Nagashima Yurie, Nakahara Kodai, Nakamura Masato, Nara Yoshitomo, Nishiyama Minako, Ohtake Shinro, Oscar Oiwa, Ozawa Tsuyoshi, Philippe Parreno, Navin Rawanchaikul, Shiga Lieko, Shimabuku Michihiro, Shitamichi Motoyuki, Sone Yutaka, Simon Starling, Hito Steyerl, Thomas Struth, Tabaimo, Takamine Tadasu, Fiona Tan, Teruya Yuken, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Tsubaki Noboru, Franz West, Xijing Men, Yamashiro Chikako, Yanagi Miwa, Yukinori Yanagi, Yanobe Kenji, Yoneda Tomoko, and others

The exhibition title Prism of the Real conveys the idea that artistic expression that emerged in Japan between 1989 and 2010 functioned like a prism that absorbs external light and refracts it into distinct wavelengths. The “real,” likewise, exists along a spectrum and cannot be defined in a singular way. Contemporary art not only served as a lens for interpreting and incorporating sociopolitical trends, but also acted as a medium that drew inspiration from Japanese cultural traditions and practices and helped disseminate them during a time of vibrant international exchange. Both Japanese artists and those who came to Japan from abroad observed the world and reality through their spectrum of interactions with the nation's culture and society, reflecting their observations in their penetrating analyses through art. With the concept of the “prism” as a guiding theme, this exhibition explores the diverse elements that shaped artistic expressions that unfolded in and beyond Japan.

“This collaboration with the National Art Center, Tokyo extends and deepens M+'s commitment to Japanese contemporary art and visual culture in the museum’s transnational collections and programming.
We are confident that Prism of the Real: Making Art in Japan 1989–2010 offers a refreshing look at a critical moment in Japanese culture and society in the first two decades of globalization, when contemporary art served as fertile ground for porous exchanges and dialogues. Eschewing a national framework, the exhibition hopes to remind viewers of a remarkable period of internationalism and encourage them to reflect on the possibility of dialogues with the wider world in the 21st century.”

Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+

“In this ambitious curatorial collaboration, we reflect on a time when artists cast their gaze on everyday life while imbuing their work with sociopolitical messages.
Prism of the Real is being carried out through a constant dialogue between two museums rooted in Asian cities, M+ in Hong Kong and the National Art Center, Tokyo. We examine, from multiple perspectives, art that emerged amid the complexities of an era marked by dynamic shifts in society, politics, economy, and technology.”

Kamiya Yukie, Head, Curatorial Division, Chief Curator