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2019.08.24 - 2019.11.24BISHOJO-YOUNG PRETTY GIRLS IN ART HISTORY

“Bishojo” is a Japanese word used throughout the whole world; yet when exactly does human’s awareness and desire of “beauty” take the form of “young girls”? Bishojo: Young Pretty Girls in Art History offers a narrative space interwoven with ukiyo-e, Japanese yoga, manga, sculpture and new media art, which leads the audience to freely explore the fantasies of different eras, gaze into the life and representation of “young girls,” and explore the never-ending inquiry of what constitutes “beauty” in our society. Taking a retrospective look at the Edo period in the 17th and 18th century, ukiyo-e featuring the motif of “Bijin-ga” (paintings of beautiful women) enjoyed widespread popularity in Japan and became a great influence over Western art style after it was brought across seas and continents as a result of advancing printing technology and bourgeoning global trade. In the 19th century, European magazine industry arrived in Japan and was an instant sensation. As education became more common and the number of schools increased, a new group of young and energetic “girl students” emerged in society and the commercial market also discovered a new clientele known as “female clerks.” Suddenly, magazines targeting young women as their primary readers grew, and artists such as Takabatake Kasho, Takehisa Yumeji and Nakahara Junichi collaborated with these magazines and created innumerous and popular illustrations featuring beautiful young women, gradually shaping the image of “pretty young girls.” In 1962, manga artist Akatsuka Fujio ushered in a new era with his young heroine known for her ability to “change appearances” with the help of a magic mirror. A wide range of pretty young girl images echoing social phenomena and responding to human desires started increasing drastically in communication media, including manga, cartoons and video games.

After the second millennium, the epoch-making revolution of audiovisual technologies and internet transformed the wave of young pretty girls into a global trend. Virtual idols led by Hatsune Miku create a large fan base, many of whom have become derivative artists who express their love for the characters or their creators through redrawing and reproducing the artworks, giving rise to diversified visual representations. The popularity of the visual culture centering on “pretty young girls,” along with its extensive commercialization, has led to two opposing viewpoints—one strives to reinforce the trend, and the other urges to reflect more on it. Many artists have created works drawing inspiration from this phenomenon, rendering it an undeniable issue in contemporary art. This exhibition starts with the cultural studies of images and examines the development of life history and aesthetic values through the works of over sixty important artists, including Suzuki Harunobu, Kaburaki Kiyokata, Yoshitomo Nara, Tezuka Osamu, Maruo Suehiro and more. With the most iconic manga characters as image codes, the exhibition unfolds the fluid and evolving images of “young girls” in both the changing industry and technology, guiding the audience to discover the history and intricate connection between popular culture and traditional art.

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OPENING HOURS 10:00 - 18:00 Tue. - Thu. Sun. 10:00 - 21:00 Fri. & Sat. VENUE, ADDRESS MoNTUE北師美術館 No.134, Sec. 2, Heping E. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan ARTISTS iXima、KE、IMr.、イヂチアキコ、上村松園、丸尾末広、小早川清、小館善四郎、山本タカト、山本大貴、山村耕花、川辺御楯、中原淳一、內藤ルネ、及川正通、手塚治虫、水野年方、水森亜土、北尾重政、古賀学、永島信也、白根ゆたんぽ、伊東深水、伊藤隆介、吉田博、宇野亜喜良、池内啓人、池田輝方、池田蕉園、竹久夢二、西川祐信、西尾康之、尾形月耕、谷口真人、赤塚不二夫、奈良美智、岡本光博、松山賢、松本かつぢ、金子國義、金卷芳俊、長谷川昇、前川千帆、原久路、原久路and林ナツミ、島本了多、恩地孝四郎、高畠華宵、高橋真琴、堅山南風、深瀬優子、鳥居清長、棟方志功、森口裕二、菊池華秋、菊池隆志、塚原重義、楊洲周延、楊斎延一、鈴木春信、榎本千花俊、歌川國貞、橫尾忠則、浜口陽三、蕗谷虹児、藤野一友、鏑木清方、関野凖一郎、桜文鳥……

SUPERVISOR Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Education ORGANIZERS Museum of National Taipei University of Education Fu Lu Culture Foundation CO-ORGANIZERS Beitou Museum Aomori Museum of Art SUPPORTED BY MOMA Contemporary SPONSOR Museum Friends Association MEDIA SPONSOR Art & Collection Group MEDIA PARTNERS The Eslite Bookstore, Storystudio Inc., Youth Literary Monthly, Artist Magazine, MUSE木棉花

SPECIAL COOPERATION TAAZE, Fancy Frontier APPOINTED HOTEL Folio Hotel APPOINTED LIGHTING Tons PRODUCER LIN Mun-Lee CURATOR KUDO Takeshi(Curator of Aomori Museum of Art) CURATORIAL TEAM トリメガ研究所(Torimega-Lab) AMBASSADOR Wonfu EXHIBITION DESIGN Noiz Architects, Mad B

EXHIBITION CONSTRUCTION Mad B, Hua Gong Engineering Corporation KEY VISUAL ILLUSTRATION 東京モノノケ Tokyo Mononoke GRAPHIC DESIGN LIN Chin-Hua ANIMATION DESIGN K4s Motion Studio APPOINTED LIGHTING Tons EXHIBITION DESIGN Nozi Architects, Mad B EXHIBITION CONSTRUCTION Mad B, Hua Gong Engineering Corporation SHIPPING PARTNER Sunway Express Co., Ltd SHARE PRESS DOWNLOAD

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