[Taiwan Cultural Center, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan] National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts Collection Taiwan’s National Treasure “Nectar Water” Landed in Japan
*Taiwan Cultural Center, Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan*
Press release: September 3, 2024
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Owned by the National Taiwan Museum of Art, Taiwan’s national treasure “Nectar Water” arrives in Japan
*Holding the first overseas exhibition “Blue Earth and Water: Taiwan’s first Western-style sculptor and the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in the early 20th century”*
The exhibition team at the Kokubikan Museum decided on the display location for “Kanro-sui.” (Courtesy of Kokubikan)
“Loess Shui and its Era: Taiwan’s First Western Sculptor and the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in the Early 20th Century” to be held at Tokyo University of the Arts on September 6th is an international exhibition co-planned by the National Taiwan Museum of Art and Tokyo University of the Arts. The exhibition brings together 58 works by Taiwanese and Japanese artists from the early 20th century, recreating the development of East Asian art 100 years ago. Among them, the National Treasure, Kanro Water, which is attracting the most attention, was officially unveiled at the Tokyo University of the Arts exhibition hall on the 2nd.
For over a year now, the National Taiwan Museum of Art has been working closely with Tokyo University of the Arts to prepare for an overseas exhibition of “Natural Water.” Based on the “Regulations for the Transportation of National Treasures and Important Antiquities,” in March of this year, Tokyo University of the Arts obtained a guarantee document regarding jurisdiction or exemption from seizure in Japan, the country where the exhibits were lent, and in May, the National Taiwan Museum of Art The application was submitted to the Cultural Heritage Bureau, and in June of this year, a special team convened by the Cultural Heritage Authority reviewed the application, and unanimously decided to exhibit “Honey Water” overseas.
In order for the national treasures to be exhibited safely in Japan, the National Taiwan Museum of Art first custom-designs the export packaging for “Nectar Water” to the highest safety specifications, so that the national treasures and other exhibited works can adapt to the venue environment. In order to give the item enough time, it was kept in the exhibition space for 48 hours after arriving in Japan, and today it was unpacked and confirmed to be in good condition. In order to ensure the safety of national treasures during the exhibition period, Tokyo University of the Arts is taking strict measures to ensure the safety of the national treasures during the exhibition period, including measures related to exhibition flow, safety management, transportation, temperature and humidity control of the venue, and securing of work display stands. I’m here.
Since the Ministry of Culture’s “Reconstruction of Taiwanese Art History” project began in 2018, works by artist Huang Tusui and related historical materials have been unearthed one after another. Among them, “kanro water”, which was selected for the 3rd Teiten Exhibition in 1921, had been missing since 1958, but was miraculously discovered in 2021. This work has been kept by Dr. Zhang Hongbiao’s family for a long time, but it has now been returned to the country and placed in the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, where it will be designated as a national treasure in February 2023.
This exhibition will be the first overseas exhibition of the national treasure “Nectar Water” after “Taiwan’s Soil, Water of Freedom: Reviving the Art of Life with Loess Water” was held at the National Taiwan Museum of Art in March 2023. Exchanges between the National Taiwan Museum of Art and Tokyo University of the Arts began with the exhibition “Taiwan’s Soil, Water of Freedom: Reviving the Art of Life with Loess Water.” At the time, Professor Hiroshi Kumazawa, Associate Professor Takashi Murakami, and Associate Professor Yasushi Okada of Tokyo University of the Arts were in attendance. were invited to exhibitions and symposiums, and when they presented their research, they received a great response from the people of Taiwan. Based on these experiences, combined with the fact that Otosui had studied abroad at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts from 1915 to 1922, it was decided between the two parties that Otesui’s works should be brought back to his alma mater and exhibited.
Director Chen Pei-yi of the National Taiwan Museum of Art said, “This exhibition not only allows us to once again deepen our research on the artist Huang Tu Shui, but also greatly contributed to the
reconstruction of Taiwanese art history in the early 20th century, and encouraged research into modern art in Taiwan and Japan. I would like to express my gratitude to the Taiwanese Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Tokyo University of the Arts, the Taiwan Cultural Center of the Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan, and everyone from all walks of life during this period. We hope that more visitors from all over the world will come to learn about and understand the artistic value and outstanding talent of Loess.”
Huang Tu Shui (1895-1930) was the first Taiwanese artist to study at the Tokyo School of Fine Arts, and was a leading figure in the Taiwanese art world from 1910 to 1930. In order to faithfully recreate the historical background in which Loessui was formed, we have assembled 48 pieces selected from the early 20th century sculptures and paintings held by Tokyo University of the Arts, demonstrating a high degree of sincerity. As a result, this exhibition will feature a “Special Corner for Loess Water,” in which 10 pieces of Loess Water works selected from the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts and related literature will be displayed.
The works of Otosui will be exhibited together with those of his mentor Koun Takamura, Takeji Fujishima, Seibo Kitamura, Fumio Asakura, Kotaro Takamura, Morie Ogiwara, and other artists who were active in the Japanese art world at the time. By doing so, we hope to recreate the artistic atmosphere of Tokyo at the time, creating an exhibition that feels like a condensed history of art in Japan and Taiwan at the beginning of the 20th century.
* About National Taiwan Museum of Art *
The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, located in the West District of Taichung City, Taiwan, opened in 1988 and is the largest public art museum in Taiwan, with a total area of approximately 10 hectares. The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts focuses on the collection, research, exhibition, and education of modern and contemporary Taiwanese art, with a focus on visual arts, and provides visitors with a highly specialized and rich viewing environment.
* About Tokyo University of the Arts *
Tokyo National University of the Arts, located in Ueno Park, Taito Ward, Tokyo, Japan, was established in 1949 by the merger of the Tokyo School of Fine Arts (currently the Faculty of Fine Arts) and the Tokyo School of Music (currently the Faculty of Music), and has 14 departments related to art and music. We are dedicated to nurturing artists in the fields of art and music.
* “Loesshui and its era: Taiwan’s first Western-style sculptor and the Tokyo School of Fine Arts in the early 20th century” *
Date: September 6th to October 20th, 2024
Venue: University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan Sponsored by: Tokyo University of the Arts, National Taiwan Museum of Art Curator: Takashi Murakami, Xue Yanling
*Releases and official images related to this matter can be downloaded from the links below. https://reurl.cc/MjRpZv