Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto
Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto: Magic Art Museum: Light Art is Fun for Everyone is the title of the exhibition currently showing at the Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto (CAMK) in Kumamoto city.
Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto
Magic Art Museum: Light Art is Fun for Everyone is the title of the exhibition currently showing at the Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto (CAMK) in Kumamoto city.
If your idea of an art gallery is one of hushed awe and meditative absorption of aesthetics then you would be in for a surprise as the atmosphere is more akin to a fairground with flashing lights and running kids.
As the title suggests, all the artwork involve light and almost all of them are kinetic, interactive, or both, with the artworks reacting in sometimes surprising ways to the viewers presence, movement, and touch.
The show is a lot of fun, and not just for kids, there was quite a line of adults waiting to participate in the piece by Daito Manabe & Satoru Higa: you sit down on a chair and on the wall in front of you is projected your video image, a computer then “paints” on your face in a mask-like, graffiti, cartoon style.... wave your hand in front of your face and a new design appears.
Fortunately there is an attendant on hand to make sure you only spend a minute or two and don't hold up those waiting. Other artists include Hisato Ogata, Tomohiro Akagawa, Ryota Kuwakubo, Taro Suzuki, plaplax, Hiroyuki Moriwaki and Kazuna Miyamoto. The show runs until September 8th and the last week of the show when kids are back in school is likely to be a little quieter.
Entrance is 1,000 yen for adults, 500 yen for older children, and 300 yen for younger kids. Open from 10 am to 8 pm, closed on Tuesdays and over the new year period.
Access - Getting There
Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto is located on the second floor of a commercial building on the north side of the main street that runs west from the castle between Tori-cho Suji and Sudoucho tram stops.
Entrance is free although special exhibitions have an entry fee. As well as galleries there is a tea room, shop, children's studio and workshop and a rather fine library. The library and foyer include light-based artworks including one by American James Turrell. Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto (CAMK) 2-3 Kamitori-cho, Chuo-ku Kumamoto City 860-0845 Tel: 96 278 7500 www: camk.jp