"Nicolas Buffe: Poliphilo's Dream," a solo exhibition by up-and-coming French artist Nicolas Buffe, will be held at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art from April 19 to June 29. This is Nicolas's first solo exhibition at a museum.

The exhibition pays homage to the late 15th-century European classic Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, but also incorporates influences from Japanese anime and manga to create a unique artistic world. The story follows the protagonist, a young boy named Poliphilo, as he encounters wolves, mirrors, unicorns, armor, and meditation spaces during his adventure, exploring a fantasy world.

The exhibition features a large-scale installation combining murals and three-dimensional works. Furthermore, an installation using augmented reality (AR) allows visitors to wear armor in a virtual space, becoming part of the exhibits. Large-scale outdoor artworks also transform the museum itself into a fantasy world.

Nicolas Buffe was in charge of the overall art direction for the opera "Orlando Palladino (Knight Roland)," which was performed at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2012. His work, which beautifully blends traditional European aesthetics with subcultures from Japan and America, was highly praised, and he won the Visual Design Award for Best Visual Design in the Theatre, Music, and Dance category from the Critics' Association that same year. He also provided illustrations for the 2014-15 AW collection of "COMME des GARCONS SHIRT."


[Event Information]
Nicolas Buffe: The Dream of Polifilo
Venue: Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
Address: 4-7-25 Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Dates: April 19th to June 29th
Hours: 11:00am to 5:00pm (until 8:00pm on Wednesdays)
Closed: Mondays (open on May 5th), May 7th
Admission Fee: Adults ¥1,100, University/High School Students ¥700, Elementary/Junior High School Students ¥500 / Free for Hara Museum members, free for elementary/junior high school students on Saturdays during term / ¥100 discount per person for groups of 20 or more