HONG KONG.- The travel exhibition “Photographic Images and Matter: Japanese Prints of the 1970s”, co-organised by the Consulate-General of Japan in Hong Kong and the Japan Foundation, is being held from 2 to 20 December, 2021 at the Hong Kong Central Library.

Supervised by Kyoji Takizawa, curator of the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, the exhibition focuses on print expressions from the 1970s, as seen in 50 works of 14 artists who helped develop a print movement in the world of Japanese contemporary art. While, on one hand, this period is notable as the golden age of works in which photographic images were converted into prints, the 1970s also saw the rise of a new print movement in which a strong emphasis was placed on allowing materials (matter) used in print-making, such as print blocks, paper, and ink, to speak for themselves. These subjective expressions, based on photographic images and matter, greatly expanded the print medium while also helping to shape trends in contemporary art as a whole.

This exhibition comprises two sections: “The Age of Photographic Images”, which focuses on the use of photographic images in the print medium and “Images of Autonomous Matter”, which focuses on works that were shaped by the intentions of matter. In addition to enjoying the works in these two categories, the viewer will be able to gain a deeper understanding of contemporary art trends of the 1970s which were triggered by the print medium.

Exhibiting artists (in order of work): Tetsuya Noda, Kosuke Kimura, Akira Matsumoto, Satoru Saito, Hideki Kimura, Sakumi Hagiwara, Jiro Takamatsu, Katsuro Yoshida, Koji Enokura, Shoichi Ida, Tatsuo Kawaguchi, Lee Ufan, Mitsuo Kano, and Arinori Ichihara

The Japan Foundation is a specialised public agency, which was established in 1972, with the goal of promoting international understanding through cultural exchange. The foundation organises a variety of projects in three primary areas of activity: arts and cultural exchange, Japanese-language education abroad and Japanese studies and intellectual exchange. In the field of visual arts, part of our arts and cultural exchange programme, we strive to introduce art through reciprocal exchanges between Japan and other countries by organising exhibitions. We also disseminate information about art in Japan to the rest of the world, as well as building networks for exchanges.

The travel exhibition is made up of works from the foundation’s own collection and deals with a diverse range of subjects, including crafts, painting, photography, architecture and design. Some 20 exhibitions are constantly underway and are held at over 100 museums and cultural facilities every year.