Cai Guo-Qiang: Yokohama Art Museum

‘There And Back Again’ is an exhibition by Cai Guo-Qiang, a Chinese artist currently living in America.

My personal favourite piece is in the main room, featuring 99 life size wolves constructed from metal and sheep skin which are all progressing towards a glass wall; The information about this piece says that it demonstrates a visual allegory for the human condition; the wolves charging forwards towards a sudden end. "I wanted to portray the universal human tragedy, resulting from this blind urge to press forward, the way we try to attain our goals without compromise," says Cai that demonstrates his reasoning behind the piece. The wolves are part of his most famous sculptures and he is a thought provoking and inspirational artist. There are also interviews and demonstration videos for visitors to gain a greater understanding of his work. Cai is also well known for his large paintings which are made from gunpowder and Chinese traditional medicine, one of these is displayed on the wall when entering the main entrance and this was created specifically for the Yokohoma Museum of Art. I have been to quite a few exhibitions around the world and this has to be one of my favourites.

The exhibition is open until October 2015 and costs 500 yen to enter for an adult with concessions for students and groups. You are not supposed to take photographs in this exhibition and the staff will stop you from doing so.

The Museum also hosts work throughout the year by world famous international artists. Salvador Dali’s painting titled ‘Fantastic Landscape’ is a beautiful example of why he was such a magnificent artist; not only in technical practices but the depth of understanding the paintings create within the viewer.

Yokohama Museum of art is located just a few minutes from Minatomirai Station in the eastern part of Yokohama right next to the Landmark Tower. It is one of the largest art institutions in Japan and hosts various work by influential artists such as Jimmy Ernst, Salvador Dali, Kanzan Shimomura & Paul Cezanne. The architecture was designed by Kenzo Tange who is an Japanese architect who won the 1987 Pritzker Prize. Yokohama also has a lot of interesting museums and shops so it is definitely worth a day trip.