The exhibition "LOVE: Forms of Love in Art - From Chagall to Yayoi Kusama and Hatsune Miku," commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills, opened on April 26th and will run until September 1st. It also focuses on virtual love and new connections between individuals born out of new technologies like the internet. The exhibition is divided into five sections: "What is Love?", "Two in Love," "When Love is Lost," "Family and Love," and "Expanding Love." The exhibition features approximately 200 works by around 70 artists and groups, including masterpieces from the collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Tate Museum, including John Constable, John Everett Millais, Giorgio de Chirico, and René Magritte, as well as works by contemporary art stars such as Damien Hirst, Tracey Emin, and Sophie Calle.

Regarding this 10th anniversary exhibition, Mori Art Museum Director Nanjo Fumio says, "The environment surrounding our world has changed considerably over the past decade, with conflicts, economic situations, and natural disasters. This exhibition was launched with the desire to express the love that can only be obtained through globalization, diversification, and technological advances, and to reexamine the value of life through that love. We live in an era in which new standards for how we live are emerging, so love holds an extremely important key now."

"In honor of our 2003 opening anniversary exhibition, Happiness, we united works from three different genres: modern European painting, Japanese classics, and international contemporary art. While continuing this tradition, for LOVE, we wanted to present them in a new form that also captures the evolution of modern technology. All of the Mori Art Museum's curators are working on this exhibition, and as the definition of love is very broad and each person's interpretation differs, we had many discussions before selecting the works to include." Regarding the exhibiting of Hatsune Miku as contemporary art, he said, "There was almost no debate about whether Hatsune Miku was a work of art. Rather, we spent time figuring out how to present it. I don't think anyone can answer the question of whether Hatsune Miku is art. That's because the definition of art has not yet been established. People think of paintings and sculptures as art, but with the evolution of modern technology, they can no longer be defined by those alone. Art has been transformed by performance, video, photography, installation, and even the Internet. What is more meaningful is what Hatsune Miku's creativity brings and how it inspires us. Considering the estimated 300,000 Hatsune Miku fans worldwide and the creative activities that are mediated by Hatsune Miku, I believe this is a love that has spread immensely across the Internet, a love that is spreading throughout the world."

In addition, to commemorate the 10th anniversary, a public art piece called "Kin no Kokoro" by Jean-Michel Othoniel has been installed in the Mori Garden. As a related project, the "Miku Cafe" will be open for a limited time. Related programs include the "Roppongi Art College Spring 2013" on April 29th, and workshops and symposiums are scheduled to be held in June and July.
【Exhibition Information】
LOVE: Forms of Love in Art - From Chagall to Yayoi Kusama and Hatsune Miku
Dates: Friday 26 April to Sunday 1 September 2013
Venue: Mori Art Museum
Address: 53F Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Opening Hours: 10:00 to 22:00 (Tuesdays only: 10:00 to 17:00)
*Last admission 30 minutes before closing
*Open every day during the exhibition period
Admission Fee: Adults 1,500 yen, Students (high school and university) 1,000 yen, Children (ages 4 to junior high school) 500 yen
Exhibiting Artists:
Adel Abidin, Richard Billingham Billingham, Constantin Brancusi, Sophie Calle, Marc Chagall, Zhang Enci, John Constable, Salvador Dalí, Gohar Dashti, Giorgio de Chirico, Jim Dine, Tracey Emin, Gimhongsok, Nan Goldin, Shilpa Gupta, Damien Hirst, David Hockney, Alfredo Jaar, Frida Kahlo, Mary Kerry, René Magritte Magritte), John Everett Millais, Zanele Muholi, Jean-Michel Othoniel, Francis Picabia, Auguste Rodin, RongRong & inri, David Shrigley, Laurie Simmons, Wasso X. Wasso and R. Vijay, Entang Wijalso, Zhang Xiaogang, Nobuyoshi Araki, Masashi Asada, Hatsune Miku, Mako Idemitsu, Yayoi Kusama, Junichi Mori, Ruriko Murayama, Minako Nishiyama, Taro Okamoto, Yoko Ono, Hideyuki Sawayanagi, TANY, Kazuki Umezawa, Masayuki Yoshinaga, and others.