Roppongi – Japan’s all night art fair

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‘Roppongi Art Night 2012’


An all-night art event that attracted  700,000 people in 2010, is to be held again this year.
 A number of artists, domestic and foreign, including Yayoi Kusama, will gather for the event.

As a part of the Tokyo Culture Creation Project, ‘Roppongi Art Night 2012’ will take place all night from 10:00 on Saturday March 24 to 18:00 on Sunday March 25, 2012. This is an all-night art banquet staged in the district of Roppongi (Minato-ku, Tokyo), in which the whole area will be covered not only with art works but also with various other forms of art, such as music, film and performance.

‘Roppongi Art Night’ started in 2009, and the total number of visitors reached approximately 700,000 in the 2010 event.

In 2011, in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake, the event was cancelled in consideration of lingering concern for aftershocks, the ensuing energy crisis, and, most importantly, the feelings of many victims of the disaster. In this year's event, the first for two years, the programme will operate under the theme of 'Let's revitalize Japan with Art'. A wide range of artists will exhibit their works accordingly, many of which have been created with the intention of making particularly strong statements, while others focus more on providing inspiration.

The launch of the following programmes has been confirmed in the greater Roppongi area: ‘Love Forever, The Future is Mine’, a work by the avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama to be exhibited all over Roppongi; ‘Legend of Roppongi 2012’, the installation in the motif of a festival, by the artist duo, Antenna; and ‘Roppongi Agora’, the Great East Japan Earthquake-related project planned jointly by the cooperation of various organizations.

Other programmes are to be held in each area at such locations as Roppongi Hills, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Midtown, Suntory Museum of Art, 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, the National Art Center, Tokyo, and Roppongi Shopping Streets. There will be special programmes offered only on the days of ‘Roppongi Art Night 2012’, and opening hours at each museum will be extended.

‘Roppongi Art Night 2012’ makes the entire Roppongi area totally immersed in art with its wider area programmes and each area programme. If you are in Japan don't miss the first chance to see these spectacles in two years. See the Roppongi website for updates