It can be called Roppongi Art Night, but this highly anticipated art festival in central Tokyo is going on longer than you might think. Scheduled for the long weekend of Saturday September 17 at monday september 19, this neighborhood-wide arts extravaganza will feature approximately 100 events ranging from exhibits and concerts to dance performances and talks. Many of these events will take place before and after as well as during the official program dates, so there is plenty to see and do beyond those three days.
What’s on the main program
The headliner of Roppongi Art Night 2022 is renowned contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, the mastermind behind this year’s theme “Magical Adventure”. Some of the artworks will be installed in public areas like Roppongi Hills West Walk and Roppongi Hills Area, so that everyone can enjoy them for free. A small selection of exhibits will, however, require an admission ticket.
Due to the pandemic, the last editions of Roppongi Art Night had to be canceled. It’s the first time in three years that the festival has made a full return to the city – so expect big things. By “big things” we mean Takashi Murakami’s 10-meter-tall giant Doraemon sculpture that will be installed at Roppongi Hills Arena.
Doraemon, reimagined
There’s even more Doraemon-inspired art around the corner. Murakami has enlisted 12 artists to join him at the festival and showcase their artistic vision through the beloved blue robot cat. Among them are Aya Takano, Madsaki, Kasing Leung, T9G, and Shin Murata, who each gave the futuristic robot cat a drastic makeover.
Other free art installations to discover
Don’t worry, there will be plenty of non-Doraemon related projects as well. Highlights beyond Takashi Murakami’s program include Tangent’s’Inaho‘, which is inspired by the way golden rice ears sway in the summer wind. The piece, which will be installed at the North Tower of Roppongi Hills from September 12 to 16, is equipped with LED lights and motion sensors, so it will respond to approaching observers by lighting up and swaying. .
Other free facilities to look forward to include Michael Lin’s’Window‘, which you can find at Giotto House and West Walk in Roppongi Hills from September 6 to 16 and September 17 to 19 respectively.
On the second floor of the Roppongi Hills West Walk, meanwhile, you’ll find Kazuhiko Hiwa illuminating’Hiwadrome‘ installation, as well as Lawrence Weiner’s series ‘Here for a while There for a while and Somewhere for a while‘. Weiner, who died in 2021, was an American conceptual artist hailed for his typography-centric art projects, where large structures like buildings and even cargo ships were used as canvases. This upcoming showcase of Lawrence’s works draws inspiration from the past and present of Tokyo and the bustling Roppongi district.
For the list of exhibitions and events, check Roppongi Art Night’s website.
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