[Solo Exhibition] "Izumi Kato: LIKE A ROLLING SNOWBALL" Hara Museum ARC

Izumi Kato – LIKE A ROLLING SNOWBALL

We visited “Izumi Kato: LIKE A ROLLING SNOWBALL,” held at Hara Museum ARC (Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture).

This exhibition runs concurrently with an Izumi Kato exhibition of the same name opening on August 10 at Hara Museum (Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo). Featuring 145 works ranging from early to recent pieces, including unpublished works, it offers a comprehensive overview of the artist’s quarter-century of activity.

The venue is divided into four areas: the square “Gallery A” with its pyramidal roof, the elongated “Gallery B” and “Gallery C” that extend symmetrically on either wing, and the special exhibition room “Kankai-an.”

Gallery A

Gallery A, the main gallery with a 13-meter-high ceiling, was filled with large-scale wooden sculptures as its centerpiece, along with sculptures of various sizes made from soft vinyl and stone.

Visitors can weave their way between the various three-dimensional works to view them.
It was possible to enjoy the sculptures from any position or angle, all 360 degrees around.

You can get very close to these primal, mysterious sculptures, and photography from designated positions is also permitted.
As you weave through and view the exhibited works, you begin to feel as if you have become one with the pieces. It was a masterful presentation that lets you engage face-to-face with Izumi Kato’s compelling works.

Including a fabric installation, it was a truly overwhelming exhibition space.

Gallery B

Gallery B mainly showcases two-dimensional works.
The space where the triptych oil paintings from the Oketa Collection and the Kawasaki Collection stand facing each other was fascinating, and it was also fun to view an installation covered with small drawings and lithographs.

Gallery C

Gallery C is also an exhibition room for two-dimensional works, centered on relatively older pieces including a 1994 work.

Special Exhibition Room “Kankai-an”

The special exhibition room “Kankai-an” is normally a space for viewing the antique art collection assembled by the museum’s chairman’s great-grandfather, Rokuro Hara.
This project displays antique works and Izumi Kato’s works together in the same room.

*Please note that Izumi Kato’s works are not shown from September 13 to October 23, as a special exhibition by Arata Isozaki will be held.

This space left the deepest impression on me personally.
The affinity between the antiques and Izumi Kato’s works was superb, and the dimly-set lighting created a sense of gravitas, resulting in a successful collaboration that transcends time.

I paid particular attention to a work made of small fishing lures. It was a charming piece, and I heard it had actually been used for fishing in a magazine feature. This felt very characteristic of Kato, who loves fishing, and left a very positive impression.

Summary

Though I couldn’t cover it all this time, the on-site cafe “Cafe d’Art” offers many related programs, such as collaboration desserts, lithograph sales and exhibitions, and screenings of soft vinyl doll production videos.

Hara Museum ARC may be located far from major metropolitan areas, but the excellence of its exhibition contents is truly remarkable.
This is a rare opportunity to see 145 Izumi Kato works all at once.
We highly recommend making the trip to the venue in person and immersing yourself in the energy that radiates from Izumi Kato’s works.

Details on the Hara Museum exhibition can be found below.