Experience the world of dwarfs in Aomori! Towada City Museum of Contemporary Art

Experience the world of dwarfs in Aomori! Towada City Museum of Contemporary Art

Over 1.7 million! A stroll around the popular art museums in Tohoku

Towada City Museum of Contemporary Art opened in 2008 as a facility to introduce contemporary art. With more than 1.7 million visitors in 2019, it has become a popular tourist spot visited by many people.

In the white box-shaped hall, the works of masters representing contemporary art are exhibited. Furthermore, the work jumps out of the museum and goes outdoors! "Flower Horse" by Choi Jung Hwa, who seems to have a hard time, is the theme of "horses" and "welcome bouquets," which are unique to Towada City, which was once a horse-producing area. Next to it is Yoshitomo Nara's “Yoru Demise Girl 2012,” familiar on Instagram.

Over 1.7 million!  A stroll around the popular art museums in Tohoku

"Government Avenue (Komakaido)," which passes in front of the museum, is a scenic spot that has been selected as one of the "100 Best Roads in Japan." You can appreciate the art under a row of more than 300 rows of cherry trees and pine trees.

Maider Lopez's work "Twelve Revel Bench" is a pop bench where you can immerse yourself in art while waiting for the bus! The Towada Museum of Contemporary Art is a unique bus stop.

Over 1.7 million!  A stroll around the popular art museums in Tohoku

And "Fat House" and "Fat Car" near the bus stop are fat and cute works that overturn the stereotype that "the house and the car don't get fat".

When I enter the house, I hear a voice. "I'm a house. I'm a house, but fat. Doesn't it mean that I'm a building..." I'm surprised at the story that resonates with me!

Anyone can use it anytime. A lot of free art spread in the park

Anyone can use it anytime.  A lot of free art spread in the park

King of Pop artist Yayoi Kusama's works are crowded in "Art Square", a park opposite the museum. Kusama-san loves pumpkins, mushrooms, girls and dogs.

In the park where art melts, you can feel the excitement just by walking.

Anyone can use it anytime.  A lot of free art spread in the park

At the end of the "Art Square" is the "Ghost" by Inguess Idee, who is reminiscent of Nyoronyoro. Sometimes it looks lonely in the autumn leaves season, and on the contrary it seems to be floating in the spring. The eyes are hollow, and when icicles form on a cold day, the ghost looks like crying.

Anyone can use it anytime.  A lot of free art spread in the park

In addition, another work by Inges Idei. In the toilet (white building) to the right of the ghost, there is a silver ghost "Unknown Mass" looking into the men's toilet!

"Ah, you're in the tray right now." It seems like you'll hear such a voice, and I'm kind of nervous.

After taking a picture, try magnifying the ghost's head. Actually, like a 360-degree camera, there is a mechanism that the whole view of the art plaza is reflected.

You can enjoy it even if you have no knowledge of art!

You can enjoy it even if you have no knowledge of art!

Now, let's go inside Towada Museum of Contemporary Art. The inside of the building is not so large, so it's a good idea to take 60 minutes as a guide. The interior is a stylish space with the decoration removed. It uses a large amount of glass, giving it a bright and open feel. The architecture was designed by Ryue Nishizawa of SANAA who designed the "Kanazawa 21st Century Museum".

When you enter, you will immediately see a colorful floor. This is "Zobop" by Jim Lambie using vinyl tape. The design (landscape) follows the shape of the room.

As you can see, even if you don't understand the difficult things, there are a lot of works that you can honestly be impressed with.

You can enjoy it even if you have no knowledge of art!

“Standing woman”, the “big grandmother,” is the most immovable item in the Towada City Museum of Contemporary Art's popularity ranking. You're also a regular on Instagram.

Did you know that this big old lady has different facial expressions depending on her angle and position?

When you look at the picture, it looks like a rugged expression with wrinkles on your eyebrows. From there, move about 10 steps to the left...

You can enjoy it even if you have no knowledge of art!

Oh mysterious! Doesn't it look like you're holding out laughing when you're happy about it? By moving myself, natural light changes the look of the aunt, making me feel like I'm watching magic.

"Standing Woman" is a work by Ron Muek from Australia. The grandmother has a wedding ring and her socks tend to come loose. The palms are red, so you can imagine that you are a hard-working housewife. The model of this work doesn't exist, so it's interesting to think about the backbone like that!

The highlight of the royal road is here

The highlight of the royal road is here

What if you could walk on clouds...? This is a mysterious work "On Clouds (Air-Port-City)" (author Thomas Saraseno) that expresses his longing for the sky.

When you climb the ladder, you can put your face in the balloon. The balloons are connected by a braided string, and you can take a mysteriously stylish photo by taking a close-up photo from the inside. Please try it.

The highlight of the royal road is here

What looks like a chandelier is "Cause and Effect" (author Suu Doho), which is a work lined up by people in a shoulder bag.

With a theme of individuals and groups, this work expresses relationships with people and relationships. If you look closely, you can see that some people have their hands crossed or their legs crossed... I think that they are lined up regularly, but sometimes there are "people who are doing different movements" so please try searching. It seems to be a microcosm of society and it is interesting.

The highlight of the royal road is here

This is "Zampland", a work by Takashi Kuribayashi that allows you to recharge in an instant. When I put my head on the pure white ceiling, the seals were showing a little out of the mist of the mist!

Enjoy the excitement of looking through the ceiling and the excitement of seeing seals in double.

Don't miss this! A good point

Don't miss this!  A good point

What feels swayed by the breeze in the courtyard is Yoko Ono's "Long-desired Tree", a work in which a wish is written and hung on an apple tree. No matter what you write, your wish is OK. If you visit the museum, please write your request. It will also help you to organize your mind.

Don't miss this!  A good point

If you want to take a break after seeing the works, we recommend the "cube" cafe in the museum. The interior is bright and has a relaxed atmosphere. You can feel free to drop by alone.

The specialty "Aomori Special Sweets" is a greedy set that has apple gelato added to the apple pie of "Fukuda confectionery store", which was popular in Towada City for 70 years. If you drink "Tsugaru 100% apple juice" as a drink, you can enjoy the feeling of Aomori even more.

Don't miss this!  A good point

In addition to this, the cafe also has a museum shop. There are many unique items such as Yayoi Kusama's goods and cute Aomori crafts! It's also a great place to find fashionable souvenirs.

Admission to the museum is free for high school students and younger. Please enjoy the healing and excitement of the SNS era with your family and friends!