Iwai Toshio × Tokyo Photographic Art Museum presents
The Light and Movement House with 100 Stories
― Connecting Visual Devices in the 19th Century and Media Art
Jul. 30—Nov. 3, 2024
- Jul. 30—Nov. 3, 2024
- Closed Mondays (except when Monday falls on a holiday, in which case the museum is open and closed the following day)
- Admission：Adults ￥700 (560)／College Students ￥560 (440)／High School and Junior High School Students, Over 65 ￥350 (280) *Prices in parenthesis apply to groups of 20 or more. (Reservation is required.) *Free for grade school children or younger, junior high school students living or attending schools in the Tokyo metropolitan area, holders of Japan’s disability identification cards (shogaisha techo) together with two caregiver, and holders of the museum’s annual passport are admitted free of charge. *Those over 65 years old receive free admission on the third Wednesday of every month by presenting proof of age at the ticket counter.
Today, we are so accustomed to seeing digital images every day on computers and smartphones that we seldom pause to consider when and how moving images first appeared before humankind. However, the thrill of watching still images come to life is one we can vicariously share with those who first uncovered these principles, by experiencing the devices they created firsthand.
Iwai Toshio, widely recognized recently as a beloved children’s book author, is also among Japan’s foremost media artists. His well-known Time Stratum series was created by synthesizing the basic mechanics of moving images with new technology. Meanwhile, since its inception, the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum has housed a vast collection of early visual devices from the 19th century. In this exhibition, with Mr. Iwai’s cooperation, we explore the inner workings of these devices. Gaining an understanding of their foundational principles will, in turn, open new avenues of appreciation for Mr. Iwai’s media works. Our hope is that this ignites a passion for moving-image media in a new generation, who will continue pushing forward the evolution of these technologies.
Iwai Toshio, Piano - as image media, 1995, Collection of the artist
Iwai Toshio, A mirror house of 100 stories, 2022, Collection of the artist
Zoetrope, 19th century, Collection of Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
Praxinoscope-Théâtre,19th century, Collection of Tokyo Photographic Art Museum
Iwai Toshio, Time Stratum Ⅲ,1989, Collection of the artist
Iwai Toshio, Time Stratum II, 1985, Collection of Tokyo Photographic Art Museum