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Kyoto Prize Room will open inside the newly renovated Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art! We would like to invite you to visit this Kyoto Prize Room and learn about the life and thoughts of the Kyoto Prize Laureates.
The history of Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art dates back to 1933 and it was then called “Kyoto Enthronement Memorial Museum of Art.” Following the derequisition of the site after the World War II, the Museum was renamed as “Kyoto Municipal Museum of Art” in 1952 and resumed its activities. The Museum building is beloved as the oldest existing public museum in Japan.
The Museum has been extensively renovated while retaining the beautiful mixture of Japanese and Western aesthetics of its original style. Kyoto Prize Room is located in the area between the Museum’s Central Hall and Higashiyama Cube for contemporary art.
Visitors will find three components in the Kyoto Prize Room:
1. Message: Words of the Kyoto Prize Laureates flow along the pillars.
2. Laureates as individuals: Touch and read Laureates’ profiles and achievements. Watch interviews and listen to their voice.
3. Laureates in context: Touch and explore the world around the Laureates including their experience as a child, befriending and impact on the society.
The message of the Kyoto Prize laureates includes words such as “I make film from my heart, not from my head. So I hope you watch with your heart.” (Akira Kurosawa | 1994 laureate in Arts and Philosophy) and “Work on what is beautiful to you.” (Karl Deisseroth | 2018 laureate in Advanced Technology). Pieces of their message become grains of LED light and flow over the surface of the marble pillars. In the “laureates in context” section, visitors can touch the laureates’ images on a five-meter wide interactive display.
After an extended delay due to coronavirus concerns, the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art is set to open on May 26 (updated on May 18). The Museum will operate under limited capacity with visitors booking their admission passes in advance. Please check the Museum’s official website for detailed information before making your visit.