Dries Van Noten will be holding a three-day exhibition at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, "INTERPRETATIONS, TOKYO: 17th-Century Paintings Inspire Contemporary Expression," from March 29th.

March 2019 marks the 10th anniversary of the opening of Dries Van Noten's flagship store in Aoyama. Celebrating this milestone, this exhibition will feature monochrome works in which contemporary Japanese artists have reinterpreted two large-scale paintings by 17th-century European master Gerard de Lairesse.

"The Quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon"
Eraruth de Lairesse (1640-1711), Belgium, oil on canvas, H 3000mm x W 2140mm

These two huge, vibrant paintings by artist Erraruth de Lairesse have been hanging in the Dries Van Noten Aoyama store since it opened. When the store opened in 2009, artists Yumi Domoto, Mika Ninagawa, and Daisuke Ohba reinterpreted the two paintings, based on the story that they are in dialogue with each other across time, countries, colors, and modes of expression. Now, ten years later, we take a closer look at the story behind Erraut de Lairesse's paintings. Three artists selected by Dries Van Noten - Masaho Anotani, Shichiho Ishii, and Makoto Sato - have updated their interpretations. How will the two original 17th-century paintings, the interpretations created at the museum's opening 10 years ago, and the new interpretations created in 2019 connect and emerge in the present day?