The special exhibition “Absolute Chairs” is being held at the Museum of Modern Art Saitama from February 17th (Saturday) to May 12th (Sunday).
Since its opening, the museum has strategically placed masterpieces of design chairs throughout the facility, earning it the nickname “the museum of chairs.” In the “Absolute Chairs” exhibition, the focus diverges from traditional design chair exhibitions. Instead, it introduces contemporary art pieces with the theme of “chairs” from a distinct perspective. This absolute theme not only stimulates the creativity of numerous designers and architects but also highlights chairs as “artworks,” a symbolic motif among artists. The exhibition features about 80 works, inviting viewers to decipher their functions and meanings.
The title of the exhibition, “Absolute Chairs,” was inspired by David Bowie’s song “Absolute Beginners. What is the source of the absolute fascination of the chair? What is the ultimate in chairs in art? and “What is the ultimate of the chair in art?
The 28 artists exhibiting include such masters as Marcel Duchamp and Francis Bacon, as well as contemporary artists Jim Lambie, Aiko Miyanaga, and Kohei Nawa, from Japan and abroad. The exhibition is organized into five chapters, including “Unseatable Chairs in Museums,” “Chairs that Visualize Power,” and “Chairs that Create Relationships.
Absolute Chairs
Dates: February 17 (Sat) – May 12 (Sun), 2024
Venue: The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
Address: 9-30-1 Tokiwa, Urawa-ku, Saitama-shi, Saitama
Hours: 10:00 – 17:30 (admission by 17:00)
Closed: Mondays (Open on Monday, April 29 and Monday, May 6)
Admission: Adults 1,300 yen (1,040 yen), High school and college students 1,040 yen (830 yen)
Prices in parentheses are for groups of 20 or more.
Free admission for junior high school students and younger and persons with disability certificate (including one accompanying person).
*Purchasers of tickets for the special exhibition (excluding the “Gurutto Pass”) may also visit the MOMAS Collection (1F exhibition room).
Exhibiting artists
Francis Bacon, Mirosław Bałka, Hans Op de Beeck, Dara Birnbaum, Michel de Brouin, Byproducts Shop, Christovao Cagnavato (Kester), Marcel Duchamp, Anna Halprin, Kazuhiko Hinoki, Hisashi Ishida, Tetsumi Kudo, SUTTY KUNNAWICHAYANON, Yayoi Kusama, Jim Lambie, Aiko Miyanaga, Kohei Nawa, Taro Okamoto, Yoko Ono, Diana Rahim, Rosas, Xiao Yinon/Mu Chen, Jiro Takamatsu, Yuji Takeoka, Tokuko Ushioda, Andy Warhol, Hito Watanabe, YU SORA
Tour Information
Aichi Prefectural Museum of Art
Dates: July 18 (Thu) – September 23 (Mon), 2024
Venue: 1-13-2 Higashisakura, Higashi-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
For inquiries, please contact
The Museum of Modern Art, Saitama
TEL: 048-824-0111