To commemorate the grand opening of the Ota City Art Museum & Library in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture, on April 1, the "Opening Commemorative Exhibition: Signal Flames for the Future" will be held from April 26 to July 17.

Designed by young architect Akihisa Hirata and created through community workshops, the Ota City Art Museum & Library is a new landmark complex in front of Ota Station.

Taking advantage of the museum's unique combination of an art museum and library, the exhibition invites artists from a wide range of genres, including fine artists, painters, bamboo craftsmen, filmmakers, poets, and singer-songwriters, creating a genre-crossing exhibition where works from different genres blend together within the exhibition rooms.

Furthermore, as there are no clear divisions within the area, this is the first exhibition to be held on a museum-wide scale, with works also being displayed in the library area. The exhibition is divided into three sections: the first floor exhibition room is "Discovering the Climate," in which cutting-edge artists such as Asai Yusuke, Fujiwara Taisuke, and Maeno Kenta discover and express the climate of Ota through a variety of forms of expression; the second floor exhibition room is "Signal Flame for the Future," in which artists from or with ties to Ota City, such as Iizuka Kokansai*, Ishiuchi Miyako, Katayama Mari, Shimizu Fusanojo, and Shoda Takeru, are featured as "genes of imagination" nurtured by the climate of Ota; and the third floor exhibition room is "Signal Flame for the Future," in which Hayashi Yuki displays a video work that incorporates citizen participation to encourage thinking about the future.
【Exhibition Information】
"Ota City Museum of Art & Library Grand Opening Exhibition: Signal Flame to the Future"
Dates: April 26th - July 17th
Venue: Ota City Museum of Art & Library Exhibition Rooms 1, 2, and 3, slope, etc.
Address: 16-30 Higashihonmachi, Ota City, Gunma Prefecture
Hours: 10:00-18:00 (last admission at 17:30)
Admission Fee: 800 yen for adults, 640 yen for students and groups, free for junior high school students and younger
Closed: Mondays *However, open on July 17th, a national holiday
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(※) The "kan" in Kansai is written with the old character for "王" (principal character) and the character for "関" (referred to as "斉")