Page 59 - Studio International - May June 1975

Tochigi Prefectural Museum

Japan,1973

Architects: Kiyoshi Kawasaki Et Kankyo Kenchiku

The Role of the Art Museum Today Accomplishing this goal is of great
While fully aware that it is difficult to practical value to the present because it
make pronouncements about the consists in converting art from a state
management of art museums in comparable to the utter purity of distilled
contemporary times and conscious of the water — what Kant called the purposeless
fact that it would be out of place for me to all-purposeful — to something like the
deliver grandiose comments at this stage, indispensable kind of water we actually
I believe that some of the things that our use every day.
staff discussed with the Kawasaki Group It is impossible today to discuss such
from Kyoto University were ultimately matters with the already empty words
influential in the architectural design. connected with the advance of
Only a few months have passed since sentimental or 'artistic' culture, because
the building was finished, but we are aesthetic things have a greater role to
now being made deeply cognizant of play in human life than these words
the difficulties inherent in realizing in suggest. In opposing the crisis caused
physical architectural terms proposals on earth by excess concern with
made from the clients' viewpoint. economy, science, technology, mere
One of the first of our requirements qualitative values, and theories that have
was that works of art must have their gone beyond the stage of ideology, the
own independent, autonomous spaces. kind of unity and feeling for nature that is
But in making this demand, we soon typical of the oriental peoples is essential.
realized that we had done no more than Application of these feelings involves
introduce into our discussions modem a return to a kind of pre-European-
speculative philosophy. We know that Renaissance stage.
this is true because we recognize an For these reasons, the basic operational
important point about art works today: policy of the Tochigi Prefectural
they cannot exist in any setting without Museum of Fine Arts is to redouble
establishing an atmosphere of mutual our efforts to enlarge the role of aesthetics
intervention with their surroundings. and their spiritual functions in the lives
In other words, no matter how strong of the local citizens. We believe that
the autonomy of the work of art, when it even an art museum can play a part in
is placed in a room or garden, the nature curing the pathological symptoms of
of the space in which it stands alters our time. To do this, our museum must
because of its presence. In a similar way, be more than a place in which to admire
the expression of a work of art undergoes works of art. It must stimulate in the
alteration as the result of the influence visitor an awareness of the changing
of its physical environment. natures of the spaces through which he
Consequently, independent plastic values moves, a feeling for the picturesque shifts
of works of art are conceivable in the in his field of vision, and, more important,
realm of speculative thought, but they a deliberate sense of the sky, water, and
do not exist in actuality. trees that are the basis of all human
The space that gives meaning to the experience of nature. In addition to this,
existence of a work of art inevitably we want the museum to combine the
interacts with the spaces of our daily aural elements of music and theatrical
lives. The only difference between the performances in natural forms. Because
two kinds of space depends on the we also intend to provide young people
relative strength or weakness of these with places in which to spend their
interactions. Consequently, no matter leisure time, we have devoted special
what the intent of the artist creating care to lighting and have arranged the
the work of art, to a surprising extent, schedule so that the museum is open
it becomes an entity related to daily at night. The next important issue
life. This then forces us to find ways involves the way the designer orchestrates
deliberately to liberate works of art and the exterior composition, the lighting,
bring them into our daily-life spaces. and the interior in an integrated
Aside from some special works expression of his design ideas. One thing
representative of extreme simplification, that we desire in this connection is a
most plastic art, in the widest sense, is monumental element to bind the
born of some purposeful use. That is composition into a unity and to assist it in General view of site
to say, it is originally created to be put becoming a landmark. Without such an 2 View from restaurant
to advantageous use in daily-life spaces. element, our dream for the museum is 3 View from upper level of main gallery
It is possible to say that today we are impossible to realize. Today's human 4 Plan
in a period in which it is necessary to society is unprecedented, to serve that
attempt to discover the purposeful use society an art museum too must be of an
— in the wide sense — of works of art unprecedented nature.•
in daily life. This is one phase of our
duty in relation to surmounting what Seiji Oshima
we call the 'modern period,' now, as (Assistant Curator of the Tochigi Prefectural
that period is ending. Museum of Fine Arts)
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