Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art The traveling exhibition “Janet Cardiff: Motets for 40 Voices” will conclude at the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition will open on Saturday, December 13th.

[Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art] The traveling exhibition “Janet Cardiff: Motets for 40 Voices” has concluded at the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art. The exhibition opens on Saturday, December 13th. ​
Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art Press Release: October 31, 2025 The traveling exhibition “Janet Cardiff: Motets for 40 Voices” concludes at the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art. It opens on Saturday, December 13th. A dialogue between Cardiff’s sculptural sound installation and architect Yoshio Taniguchi’s architectural space
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Janet Cardiff, Motet for 40 Voices, 2001. Installation view at St. John’s Church (Feldkirch, Austria) (2005). Photo by Markus Tretter. Photo by Markus Tretter. Courtesy of the artist and Augustine Luhring, New York / Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco / Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo. (C)Janet Cardiff Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) is pleased to present an exhibition of the sound installation Motet for 40 Voices (2001) by Canada-based artist Janet Cardiff (1957-). This work, one of her signature pieces, was first exhibited at the National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa) in 2001 and has since been exhibited in approximately 60 locations worldwide since receiving the museum’s Millennium Prize. Based on “Spemin Alium” (commonly known as “Motet for Forty Voices”) by 16th-century English composer Thomas Tallis, the voices of a 59-singer choir consisting of five voices (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, and bass) are individually played from 40 speakers arranged in an oval shape. This creates an immersive experience, as if you were actually there with the choir singing, and the layered soundscape emerges in the space like a sculpture. Meanwhile, our museum, opened in 1991 under a design by Yoshio Taniguchi, who has worked on numerous art museums, was one of the first museums in Japan to feature open exhibition spaces incorporating natural light. Taking advantage of these architectural features, we have chosen the spacious exhibition room, the largest in the museum, with a 7-meter ceiling, as the venue, allowing viewers to move freely through the space and further enhance the spatial experience of the sound of this work. Starting at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art ARC, the exhibition will travel to the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa and Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum throughout the year, and this will be the last opportunity to see it in Japan. Enjoy the sculptural expansion of sound in the space created by Janet Cardiff’s masterpiece, and the dialogue that can only be found in our architectural space. 1. Highlights
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/142923/12/142923-12-e23d9405fe4dc0380d98f0922d302c99-2560×1974.jpg Janet Cardiff, Motet for 40 Voices, 2001, Recorded by the Salisbury Cathedral Choir (2000). Photo by Hugo Glendinning. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York / Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco / Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo. (C)Janet Cardiff 1-1. Sculptural Acoustics Filling the Museum Space This immersive piece, in which each member of the choir is individually played back from 40 speakers, appeals to the viewer’s hearing rather than their sight. As viewers move freely through the museum, a space typically reserved for the appreciation of visual art, listening intently, the soundscape creates a sculptural spatial experience. 1-2. An acoustic experience unique to MIMOCA, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi The exhibition will take advantage of the museum’s space, designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi, renowned as a master of art museums. Taking advantage of the architectural space, which makes ample use of natural light, the exhibition will be held in Exhibition Room C, the largest room in the museum at 7 meters high, allowing visitors to enjoy the sculptural soundscape of Motet for 40 Voices and the interaction with the museum’s unique architectural space.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/142923/12/142923-12-34b0532ef35ab540d8a757f304f9a978-1500×1000.jpg Janet Cardiff, “Motet for 40 Voices,” 2001, Ginza Maison Hermès Exhibition view at the Forum (2009) Photo by Atsushi Nakamichi / Nacasa & Partners Inc. Courtesy of the Fondation d’entreprise Hermes, 2009 (C)Janet Cardiff 1-3. The Final Destination of the National Tour of a Masterpiece This exhibition is the domestic tour of Janet’s masterpiece, Motet for 40 Voices, which has been exhibited in approximately 60 locations around the world since its debut in 2001. Having traveled to Hara Museum of Contemporary Art ARC, Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, and Nagasaki Prefectural Art Museum, this exhibition at our museum marks the final opportunity to view the work in Japan. 2.Related programs 2-1. Curator Talk The exhibition’s curators (Koichi Nakata and Musei Tanimura) will guide you through the exhibition. Dates and Times: Sunday, December 14, 2025, Sunday, January 11, 2026, Sunday, February 8, 2026, 2:00 PM each day Participation Fee: Free (exhibition ticket required), no registration required 2-2. MIMOCA Day for Parents and Children Up to two accompanying guests per visitor who is a high school student or younger or under the age of 18 may enter for free. Date and Time: Saturday, January 24th and Sunday, January 25th, 2026, 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM (last entry at 5:30 PM) *Details and other program information will be posted on our website. 3. Artist profile Janet Cardiff Janet Cardiff Janet Cardiff (1957-), based in British Columbia, Canada, combines sound, sculpture, and technology to create innovative, immersive installations that offer complex sensory experiences, including listening and seeing. In 2001, she represented Canada at the Venice Biennale with George Bures Miller, where they won a special prize. Since then, she has collaborated with Miller, holding exhibitions at museums around the world. In Japan, she is known for exhibitions such as “Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller” (21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, 2017), as well as for her participation in the Yokohama Triennale 2005 and Aichi Triennale 2013, and for her Storm House at Benesse Art Site Naoshima (a permanent installation from 2010 to 2021).
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/142923/12/142923-12-ed52bcb6d5f8b7d3c6e7633f2c7261e1-2560×1920.jpg Janet Cardiff, Motet for 40 Voices, 2001, Janet Cardiff (at the Cantonal Museum of Thurgau, Switzerland, 2002). Photo by Stephan Rohner. Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York / Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco / Gallery Koyanagi, Tokyo. (C)Janet Cardiff Event overview Exhibition Title: Janet Cardiff: Motet for 40 Voices Venue: Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art Address: 80-1 Hamamachi, Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture Dates: Saturday, December 13, 2025 – Sunday, February 15, 2026 Opening Hours: 10:00-18:00 (last entry at 17:30) Closed: Mondays (open on January 12, 2026), December 25, 2025 (Thursday) – December 31, 2025 (Wednesday), Tuesday, January 13, 2026 Admission Fee: ¥1,500 (Group discount ¥1,200, City discount ¥900) University students ¥1,000 (Group discount ¥800, City discount ¥600) High school students and younger or those under 18 years of age, those 65 years of age or older who live in Marugame City, and those with a disability certificate and their caregivers. Free for first 10 people. *Includes admission to the concurrent special exhibition “Genichiro Inokuma: Arranging Dreams” and the permanent exhibition “Genichiro Inokuma: Things Exist.” *Group discounts are available for groups of 20 or more. *The citizen discount is for Marugame residents only. Proof of identity (driver’s license, health insurance card, etc.) must be presented when purchasing tickets. This discount cannot be used in conjunction with other discounts, including group discounts. Contact: 0877-24-7755 Organizers: Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art, MIMOCA Art Foundation About the Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/142923/12/142923-12-72f34ebf23a1e884a5f76caa146cd993-1616×1078.jpg Photography: Yoshiro Masuda The Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (nicknamed MIMOCA) opened on November 23, 1991, as a commemorative project for the 90th anniversary of Marugame City’s incorporation, with the full cooperation of painter Genichiro Inokuma, who has ties to Marugame City. Located in front of Marugame Station, this beautiful building designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi houses approximately 20,000 works by Inokuma donated by the artist himself. It showcases these works in its permanent exhibitions, as well as hosting special exhibitions focusing on contemporary art. The museum also places great emphasis on educational activities, hosting a diverse range of programs, including lectures and concerts, as well as workshops designed to foster children’s sensibilities and creativity. These distinctive features were developed through extensive
discussions between Inokuma and the city of Marugame. Inokuma strongly desired MIMOCA to be a “contemporary art museum” that constantly and proactively introduces new works. Taniguchi, sharing Inokuma’s desire for a beautiful museum, created the bright, spacious space that incorporates natural light. Inokuma also placed great importance on children’s exposure to beauty, proposing measures such as free admission for children and the establishment of a “sculpture studio” where children could engage in creative activities. Inokuma wanted the museum to be a place where people could casually drop in, view fine artworks in a beautiful space, and be inspired and refreshed. He described MIMOCA’s ideal as “a hospital for the heart.” We hope that MIMOCA, embodied in Inokuma’s vision, will become your “hospital for the heart.” Access ​ For more information about this release