Close to both Tokyo and Mount Fuji the small town of Hakone holds something of a revelation. However, unless you are from Japan, you may well not have heard of it. The town plays host to a large open air museum where the works of many famous artists are held - outdoors. It is an attempt (and a successful one) to balance art and nature in harmony. The artworks, combined with the beautiful views of the surrounding mountains give the visitor an unforgettable experience.
There are surprises around every corner at this unique museum, sights which will provoke thought and sometimes even laughter. This head on its side looks like some vast relic of a long vanished civilisation.
Perhaps before you start to explore the massive grounds you should visit the extravagant stained glass tower which in the light of summer is like something from a fairy tale. You can climb to the top and check out the rest of the museum from here, so you can plan which pieces to visit next (but the choice can be bewildering).
From the top of the staircase you can take a look at what else is on offer - below is just one of the angles to be surveyed from its dizzy heights. The breathtaking beauty of the surrounding countryside is a marvellous environment for these fluid sculptures. A far cry from a stuffy museum.
The Japanese have a unique and sometimes impenetrable sense of humour (from the perspective of a Westerner). However, they do have a sense of fun which is easy to understand, even when it comes to art. The above is
Shaun of the Dead, based on the famous zombie movie and created by its writer and star Simon Pegg and its director, Edgar Wright. The movie has cult status in Japan probably everywhere to tell the truth).
Among the more thought provoking pieces is
Man and Pagasus by Carl Milles. Milles was perhaps better known for his fountains but the Swedish sculptor excelled himself with this hugely powerful piece showing man’s desire to tame nature.
Phillip King, who was once Henry Moore's assistant turned to Japan in the nineties and produced a series of innovative scultpures outside his normal style, one of which can be found in the garden (above).
There are many original pieces in the environs – and if you are a fan of Henry Moore you will probably think you have died and gone to heaven. In the distance here you can see the stained glass tower featured further up this article.
As if all this is not enough, there is also a Picasso exhibition. As the bulk of his work represented here is ceramic it is shown indoors.
There are plenty of mysteries to discover and explore at Hakone. But will they ever be solved? The park has so much to offer you may well end up feeling something like the person below.
You may think this all looks marvellous,
but what am I going to do with the kids? There are, unlike many museums, plenty of pieces of art to engage the kids. Typically for the Japanese, children are well catered for. The new pavilion especially made for children is a sight to behold whether or not you are ten years old (but from their smaller perspective it must seem like an adventure playground from the heavens).
The castle of nets is meant for children – but on a quiet day you will find that the curators will turn a blind eye to adults having a swing or two.
In fact a number of the pieces seem to have that as their primary aim. An amazing four story maze bee hive is, for sure, something that not many children will be able to resist clambering around.
There is also a garden maze in which you can lose yourself
or the kids.
Plus, any youthful fan of geometry will have a whale of a time there too.
As well as all of the above there are also numerous pieces by lesser known artists. You will need at least four hours to see the museum properly and in order to do this as far from the
madding art lovers as possible, get there when it opens at nine in the morning.
Image Credit Flickr User Or Hiltch
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In the 1880s at a time when most Europeans were denied access to the Japanese interior an Italian photographer managed to capture many images of Old Japan.
These were then beautifully and realistically hand painted and serve as a remarkable record of a world long since disappeared.
Image Credit
The gravy boys and girls in Brussels have taken a dim light to his art, or so it seems. When art is purchased and imported in to European countries it has to be taxed. If it is art then it is taxed at 5%. However – if it is a light fixture, then it is taxed at the much higher rate of 20%.
In a move which has had admirers of Flavin’s work shrugging their shoulder’s in disbelief, let alone the philistinism of their self-elected bureaucrats, Flavin’s art – sorry, wall fittings – are now a great deal more expensive. For those of you new to his art, he was an American minimalist artist who became famous for creating sculptural objects and installations from commercially available fluorescent light fixtures - all the photographs here are by the artist.
Whether or not it is art has been raging for decades - yet to this point it has been one associated with canapés and aestheticism rather than the heavy hand of the law. Those who dislike Flavin's work may see this move as a justification of their argument.
This is not just an academic argument, however. If the Tate Modern in the UK now chooses to import some of Flavin’s work they will pay a deal more. If they pay £100K for a piece it will mean a difference of £15K in taxes – which is a considerable sum of money. Add up all the art imported over the course of a financial year and you will get a huge figure.
Of course Flavin died nearly fifteen years ago so he isn't exactly around to worry about this. Yet their are many who will. Bill Viola, for example, has recently been commissioned by St Paul's Cathedral in London to create two pieces. The nature of his art dictates that the 20% tax will be levied against his work when it enters the UK, causing huge expense to the cathedral authorities.
To get to the heart of the issue, the argument of the commission goes that it is not the installation itself that constitutes the art but the effect of the light once the piece has been ‘plugged in’. By its own logic it opens questions about the future of importing modern art in to the UK. Anything that consists of objects which need electricity might have to pay the higher tax as a result of this bizarre new piece of legislation.
If anyone from the European Commission is reading this, then thank you. At least it gave us an opportunity to feature some of Flavin's incredible work. As a footnote, Mr Commissioner, this is what light fittings look like in real life.
