At the Park Hotel Tokyo (Tokyo, Japan), the ART colours Exhibitions are held quarterly for the guests from overseas to enjoy the Japanese aesthetics of the four seasons, and as its 17th exhibition, the –Ayakashi– Mysterious Aquarium Exhibition will be held from June 20, 2016 (Monday) to August 28, 2016 (Sunday).
Due to its ideal location with excellent access between both Haneda and Narita international airport, and its spectacular view behind the Reception counter on the 25th floor of Tokyo’s iconic symbol “Tokyo Tower” and the most famous mountain of Japan, “Mt. Fuji”, the Park Hotel Tokyo has a high proportion of foreign guests, with that figure surpassing 89% in April 2016. With the increasing number of foreigners visiting Japan, we anticipate that our proportion of foreign guests will continue to increase as well. In order to enable foreign guests to enjoy Japanese aesthetics distinctive of the Park Hotel Tokyo, we are creating spaces throughout the hotel that take art into consideration, and especially among them, the Artist Rooms* have earned a highly favorable reception for the works painted directly onto the guest room walls as though they were a canvas.
As a part of the ART colours project, –Ayakashi– Mysterious Aquarium Exhibition, which the inspiration is taken from the Park Hotel Tokyo’s concept “Infinite time and space amid cognizant Japanese beauty”, will take place in the entire lounge on the 25th floor.
The Park Hotel Tokyo stands at “Shiodome“, where once upon a time, more than 400 years ago, was known as a dam to stop the ebb and flow of the tide from reaching the outer moat of Edo Castle. Creatures that could no longer return to the sea transformed and evolved into AYAKASHI (mystical creatures).
This summer, the Atrium on the 25F will be transformed into an aquarium full of AYAKASHI. Strange creatures swimming at the entrance and on the 30m high wall, unfamiliar colored objects on LED lighted tables, mysterious ART beings here and there on marble walls and restaurant entrances…. It will be a different space where guests can forget the intense midsummer heat. Slipping into the mystic AYAKASHI – Mysterious Aquarium, to enjoy the special menus and cocktails prepared in collaboration with arts in the lounge, and enjoy a feeling of swimming for a moment.
The Park Hotel Tokyo will continue to present our guests with the aesthetics of Japan in many forms, in the hope that foreign guests will develop some understanding of Japanese culture and be able to enjoy Japanese aesthetics.
■ ART colours Vol. 17 -Ayakashi- Mysterious Aquarium Exhibition ■
【Period】 June 20, 2016 (Mon) ～ August 28, 2016 (Sun), open daily at 11:30 ～ 22:00
【Location】 ART Lounge, Park Hotel Tokyo (25F) 【Fare】 Admission Free
【Exhibiting Artists】 Hajime Emoto, Go Ogawa, Jun Kamei, Iori Tomita, Aki Narita, Takehiro Nikai, Asuka Hirata
【Cooperation】 Shinobazu Gallery, Katsumi Yamato Gallery, Fuyama Art, AIN SOPH DISPATCH, Aoki Gallery, GALLERY TOMURA
【Video Production】 antymark annex
【Produced by】 creative unit moon
■ ART colours by hotel’s culinary artists ■
※ Price include 10% service charge & consumption tax
Period: June 20, 2016 (Mon) ～ August 28, 2016 (Sun)
ART Lounge (25F)
Dessert: “Cherry Kuchen”
Price: Tea time 14:30 ～ 17:30 JPY 1,800 (served with coffee)
Dinner time 17:30 ～ 22:00 JPY 1,200
Japanese Dessert: “a life”
Created by Japanese Wagashi Artist Shiho Sakamoto
* Served as one of desserts in Afternoon Tea
Bar The Society (25F)
Cocktail: “Shiodome Cryptid”
Chief Cocktail Designer Takayuki Suzuki
Price: JPY 1,600
[Artists’ Artwork & Bio]
◆ HAJIME EMOTO
1970 Born in Hyogo Prefecture
1995 Received diploma from Tsukuba University Graduate School, Art Research Department
Until 1999, produced prints (mainly copper engravings and lithographs), then started production of creature specimen works. Currently focusing on private exhibitions at galleries and exhibitions at museums
◆ GO OGAWA
1981 Born in Kanagawa Prefecture
2007 Graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts
2009 Received diploma from Tokyo University of the Arts Graduate School
2011 Joined the artists’ collective C-DEPOT
◆ JUN KAMEI
1969 Born in Wakayama Prefecture
1981 Became very interested in “Gundam” plastic models, and still is.
Started making figures from garage kits making
2004 Competed in “Plastic Model King Championship” at TV show “TV Champion”
2005 Private exhibition “Bewitching Aesthetic Dolls Jun Kamei Art Figures Exhibition”
2006 Named his own dolls, “Otogi Ningyo Dolls”
Since then, had a large number of private and group exhibitions. Currently working as an Otogi Ningyo Doll artist
◆ IORI TOMITA
1983 Born in Saitama Prefecture
2006 Graduated from Kitasato University, School of Fisheries Sciences, Department of Marine Biosciences
2008 While a fisherman’s apprentice in Ofunato City, Iwate Prefecture, started creating transparent specimen works
◆ AKI NARITA
1966 Born in Aomori
Came to Tokyo in the second half of her teens, and became an artist on her own. While in her twenties, became friendly with established artists like Eiko Hosoe, Yūtokutaishi Akiyama and Tetsumi Kudo, and absorbed the essence of art. Worked many times on designing books of Tatsuhiko Shibusawa and Seiichi Morimura.
New works derived from the Artist Room Geisha Goldfish will be presented in the exhibition.
◆ TAKEHIRO NIKAI
1980 Born in Nagoya
Graduated from Kyoto Seika University, Faculty of Arts, in printmaking
He is a world-class “koguchi” wood engraver who engraves fine images using a burin (chisel with a sharp steel tip) on slices of hardwood trees, such as cherry and boxwood. Received prestigious awards at the Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints and the Exhibition of Japan Print Association. Collections of his works can be found in many museums such as the Zhejiang Art Museum, and Kanuma Municipal Art Museum of Kawakami Sumio.
◆ ASUKA HIRATA
1978 Born in Nagoya.
Graduated with an M.A. in Art from Nagoya University of Arts
Philosophically paints bizarre creatures arising from the biological connection between all living things – human, plant, animal, nature… to express her own view of the world. Exhibited at “Nowhere” (Bunkamura Gallery), and “Recto emotion” (Art Gallery, Nihonbashi Takashimaya).
Click here to download PDF version.