Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan

Sat 7 Mar 2020 — Sun 16 Aug 2020

Click on the link on the right or below to view the virtual tour
Take the tour

Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan

Sat 7 Mar 2020 — Sun 16 Aug 2020

 

This exhibition is now closed. Take the virtual tour to experience the characters, places and pastimes of Edo Japan from the comfort of your home. 

Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan includes more than 70 paintings sourced from private art collections. Including delicate silk paintings, precious scrolls, folding screens and vibrant woodblock prints, this exhibition explores the wonder, mystery and enduring popularity of art from this period.

The exhibition presents a captivating introduction to the characters, places and pastimes of a flourishing era during Japan’s more-than 250 years of self-imposed isolation from the world. See life as it was captured by the most popular artists of the period, including Katsushika Hokusai, Andō Hiroshige, Kitagawa Utamaro and Keisai Eisen. There are iconic depictions of popular and seasonal landmarks, including rare paintings of snow-capped Mount Fuji, waterfalls, rivers and blossoming trees. Visitors will also be introduced to the symbolic world of animals and to the imaginary realms of myth and legend, inhabited by dragons and fantastic beings.
 
Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan will also demonstrate the enduring influence of Edo-period art through the inclusion of two digital artworks from celebrated contemporary artist Tabaimo and renowned international art collective teamLab. Using 21-st century technologies, both animate and bring to life the mysterious beauty of the Floating World evoked in woodblock prints and golden screens.
 
Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan has been curated by Japanese scholar, Rossella Menegazzo (Università degli Studi di Milano Statale), in collaboration with Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki curators, and is organised by MondoMostre, Italy.
 
We’re thrilled to be named a finalist in the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards in the Digital (Installation & Exhibition) category for our Enchanted Worlds Virtual Tour. Take the tour today! 
 
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Virtual tour

Welcome to the Enchanted World of Japanese Art

Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan is the first exhibition of original paintings by the leading artists and schools of the Edo period to be held in New Zealand. Over 70 exquisite paintings on hanging scrolls and three beautifully painted folding screens illustrate the key themes and artistic developments of the wonderful world of ukiyo-e (art of the Floating World).

Within weeks of this exhibition’s opening, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki suspended public activities as part of New Zealand’s national response to the Covid-19 crisis. Since then, this virtual tour has been created to make accessible the exceptional beauty and richness of this exhibition despite the Gallery’s doors being closed. We’re delighted to invite you to walk through Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan and experience the exquisite art of the Floating World.

We would like to thank our exhibition partners, lenders, and local and international supporters for making this exhibition possible. We would especially like to acknowledge the expertise of the principal curator, Dr Rossella Menegazzo, who worked with our curators to bring this fascinating subject to life.

Kirsten Paisley, Director
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki
 

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Explore online

Choose between three different virtual tour experiences: a family tour with fun facts and art-making activities; a curator’s highlight tour that covers insights and stories on the Edo-period; or an in-depth exhibition experience with extended artwork labels.

Use the navigation tools to virtually “walk” through the exhibition or click on any room in the interactive map to instantly move across gallery spaces.

Enjoy the immersive soundtrack by local artist, Christoph El' Truento while you explore hi-resolution digital images offering close-up views of the intricate, hand-painted details of over 70 exquisite and rare artworks. 

This digital experience now offers brand new features, including audio guides plus te reo Māori translations of the complete tour content.

Experience the exquisite art of the Floating World and click below to take the tour!


take the tour

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Family tour
 

Look out for the icon above to go on a journey through Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and Art of Edo Japan. Find out about the magic worlds and stories of animals, landscapes, myths and legends, and talk about your ideas together.

Ask whoever is at home with you to help. You’ll find lots to explore and fun activities to try along the way!

The family tour is also available as an audio tour in English and te reo Māori . Look out for the headphones icon to listen to each of the family labels located throughout the tour. 

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Curator tour
 

Look out for the icon above to reveal artwork details and key exhibition themes selected by the curators of Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan.

Transport yourself to the Edo period (1603–1868) in Japan and discover the art of the Floating World (ukiyo-e) at its finest. Anyone can participate in this self-guided curator tour where you will find many exhibition highlights and untold stories that span across poetry, music, theatre, fashion and the visual arts.

The curator tour is available as an audio tour in English and te reo Māori . Look out for the headphones icon to listen to each of the curator labels located throughout the tour. We have also translated this tour in Mandarin. Click the file below to download this as a reading resource. 

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Enchanted Worlds Curator Tour in Mandarin
2.59MB pdf file

Extras

Learn

On the occasion of this exhibition, the Gallery has published the e-publication, Reflections on the Floating World

Click below to download this e-publication online.
 
 
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Read more

We’ve created English and Chinese reading lists connecting you to further resources on Edo-period Japan, its art and its artists.

 

Download the PDFs to discover recommendations for books to read and for links to e-publications and videos by experts from around the world.

Enchanted Worlds reading list - books
228.56kB pdf file
Enchanted Worlds reading list - e-publications and videos
228.34kB pdf file
Enchanted Worlds Chinese additional reading
5.39MB pdf file

Shop

We’ve updated our online shop with an exciting range of Japanese-made and Japan-inspired products in celebration of Enchanted Worlds: Hokusai, Hiroshige and the Art of Edo Japan.

 

Every purchase you make goes towards supporting the Gallery's work to connect art with people. Visit our online shop to check out the full range.

Shop Enchanted Worlds

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