The Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art will host the exhibition "Murano Togo's Architecture: Starting with the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace" from May 16 to July 9. Born in Saga in 1891, Murano Togo was active primarily in the Kansai region throughout the prewar and postwar periods, and is a master of Japanese architecture known for numerous distinctive buildings, including the Sogo Department Store (1935) and the Osaka Shin-Kabukiza Theater (1958). This exhibition focuses on Murano's Hiroshima Memorial Cathedral for World Peace. In 2006, this building became the first postwar building to be designated an Important Cultural Property. One of the highlights of the exhibition is the cathedral's numerous design iterations, which reveal the many trial and error efforts that went into its design. The unique shadows, textures and feel of the materials, the exquisite blend of Japanese and Western styles, and the beauty of the curves offer an opportunity to appreciate from various perspectives the free and rich world and philosophy that Murano created through his sensibility and experience. During the exhibition, on May 20th from 2pm to 4pm, there will be a lecture and discussion event (capacity 120 people, exhibition ticket required) featuring Takashi Hasegawa, professor emeritus at Musashino Art University and architectural critic, and Hiroshi Matsukuma, professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology. In addition, there will be gallery talks from 2pm to 3pm on May 21st, June 4th, and 24th, and on June 18th from 1pm to 2pm and 3pm to 4pm, there will be a tour of the interior of the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace, guided by Kasahara Kazuto, architectural historian and assistant professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology (capacity 30 people per tour, advance registration required).
【Exhibition Information】
"Murano Togo's Architecture - Starting from the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace"
Dates: May 16th - July 9th
Venue: Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
Address: 1-1 Hijiyama Park, Minami-ku, Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture
Hours: 10:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:30)
Admission Fee: Adults 1,030 yen (820 yen), University Students 720 yen (620 yen), High School Students and Those 65 and Over 510 yen (410 yen)
*Prices in parentheses are for advance tickets and groups of 30 or more
Closed: Mondays