Mr. Yokoo’s Palette
Japan
Kobe
2022
19
Mr. Yokoo’s Palette showcases artist Yokoo Tadanori’s striking use of color, tracing his vibrant painting career since his “painter’s declaration” in the early 1980s. This pivotal moment marked his shift from graphic design to a prolific period of pictorial experiments, creating diverse works without fixed subjects or styles. The exhibition uniquely reorganizes his artistic world by categorizing paintings from series like Pink Girl and Y-junction based on their dominant hues, transforming the museum galleries into a grand palette. Visitors will discover background materials, including actual used palettes and paints from his studio, offering a glimpse into his creative process. This presentation invites reflection on the overwhelming power of Yokoo’s colors and how a singular artistic element can define an entire body of work, offering a fresh perspective on his timeless vision.
Why should you watch this?
The film Mr. Yokoo’s Palette is urgently relevant now because it shows how color reshapes perception when attention fragments across screens and crises. By arranging Yokoo’s paintings by hue and treating the galleries as a single palette, the film links his post-1980s experiments to present hopes for repair and renewed attention. Scenes like the volcanic red of Pink Girl and the quiet close-ups of Yokoo’s stained studio palettes offer both sensory exhilaration and documentary intimacy. That mix of visual shock and reflective evidence prompts wonder and thought, leaving viewers with a clear takeaway: learning to read color helps us see and respond more deeply to the world.
Curators in Panic
Japan
Kobe
2021
21
The exhibition Curators in Panic addresses the unpredictable realities of operating a contemporary art museum, presenting unique works by artist Yokoo Tadanori, who has continuously redefined painting since the 1980s. Rooted in the early 2020s — a period marked by the coronavirus crisis and logistical demands from the large-scale retrospective Genkyo Yokoo Tadanori — this show responds directly to the sudden absence of major holdings and the challenges of museum governance. Three participating curators, deeply familiar with the collection, selected their personal favorites not included in the tour, highlighting the profound existence of the artist’s full creative output. This perspective reflects the confusion of managing a cultural facility during a state of emergency. By adopting the curators’ viewpoint, visitors gain an opportunity to freely enjoy the viewing experience and rediscover the rich, constantly changing creative world of Yokoo Tadanori.
Why should you watch this?
Curators in Panic speaks directly to the uncertainties of our present, when cultural institutions and everyday life alike are shaped by disruption and absence. The film captures the uneasy humor of curators calling their own exhibition a “state of emergency,” a phrase that resonates far beyond the museum walls in a world still negotiating the aftershocks of the coronavirus crisis. Their candid voices, recounting both discoveries and setbacks, turn curatorial practice into a deeply human story of resilience and adaptation. Viewers are left with a striking reminder that art, even when interrupted or displaced, continues to create meaning and connection.
Yokoo Tadanori Collection Gallery 2021
Japan
Kobe
2021
13
The Yokoo Tadanori Collection Gallery presents a comprehensive view of the artistic world and deep influences shaping the practice of Japanese artist Yokoo Tadanori. This permanent space, established in 2021 within the Yokoo Tadanori Museum of Contemporary Art in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, displays his original drawings, color proofs, and project designs. The collection offers insight into the cultural and historical contexts that fed Yokoo’s aesthetic, illuminating the wider network of artistic references he engaged with. Visitors can study archive materials and works by figures he admired, such as Francis Picabia and Giorgio de Chirico, revealing the sources that informed his output. The gallery ultimately encourages visitors to recognize the enduring dialogue between personal vision and international creative lineage that defines lasting contemporary art.
Why should you watch this?
The Yokoo Tadanori Collection Gallery reveals the surprising connections between Yokoo’s imaginative designs and the works of artists he admired, such as Picabia and de Chirico, showing how ideas travel across time and place. Scenes capturing his bold color proofs alongside delicate sketches create moments of both delight and contemplation, exposing the processes behind visual invention. By following the intersections of personal creativity and broader artistic currents, the film invites viewers to experience the thrill of discovery and recognize how enduring inspiration emerges from unexpected juxtapositions, offering a vivid reminder of the vitality of art across generations.
110 Years, 110 Works. Société Générale Collection
Morocco
Rabat
2024
8
110 ans, 110 œuvres, at the Mohammed VI Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rabat, commemorates Société Générale Maroc’s 110th anniversary and its long-standing commitment to art and Moroccan culture. This exceptional exhibition, a collaboration with the National Museum Foundation, features a precious part of the bank’s collection, including previously unseen works. It takes visitors on a timeless journey, tracing Moroccan art’s evolution from the early 20th century, starting with pioneers like Ben Ali R’bati, across four distinct periods to the present day. The exhibition highlights Moroccan artists’ contribution to national identity. It celebrates a rich artistic heritage and Société Générale Maroc’s enduring role in art’s promotion, anticipating the opening of its own museum in 2024. Visitors gain insight into Morocco’s artistic dynamism and the intricate relationship between banking and cultural patronage over more than a century.
Why should you watch this?
The exhibition 110 ans, 110 œuvres matters today because it shows how art can carry a nation’s memory while speaking to its future. Moving between the early brushstrokes of Ben Ali R’bati and the global perspectives of contemporary Moroccan artists, it evokes both pride and questioning: how does creativity define who we are in a world of constant change? Visitors may feel inspired by the intimate voices of the 1980s generation, who turned personal experience into universal expression, or by today’s works shaped through worldwide dialogue. Ultimately, the exhibition reminds us that art’s power to connect time, place, and people remains urgently relevant.
Hanbok, Poetics of Line and the Passage of Life
Canada
Ottawa
2021
19
The exhibition Hanbok, Poetics of Line and the Passage of Life presents the story of traditional Korean attire, tracing its cultural significance and transformation through time. With a basic style originating in the Three Kingdoms period (37 BCE – 668 CE), the Hanbok shown primarily reflects that of the Joseon dynasty (1392 – 1910). The exhibition explores how this clothing embodies Korean ancestral values, worldview, and reverence for nature through its use in life’s milestone ceremonies and its symbolic colours derived from Yin-Yang theory. Curated by EuiJung McGillis, the presentation showcases items from a baby’s first birthday dress to royal robes, alongside modern reinterpretations by early twentieth-century shinyeoseong (new women). Visitors will discover Hanbok as a transmitter of tradition and a dynamic symbol of Korean identity in a global context.
Why should you watch this?
Hanbok, Poetics of Line and the Passage of Life resonates today because it frames clothing as both a vessel of memory and a mirror of change. The exhibition’s display of the Obangjang durumagi, alive with five elemental colors, reminds us of humanity’s search for balance with nature at a time when sustainability is a global concern. Equally striking are the “new women” who reshaped Hanbok to claim individuality during Korea’s modernization — a gesture that still feels bold and liberating. This exhibition shows that tradition is not fixed but evolving, offering viewers a timeless reflection on identity, resilience, and creativity.
Implicit Modernism. Roman Babichev’s Collection. Part I.
Russia
Moscow
2017
123
The exhibition presents Roman Babichev’s collection as a compelling exploration of Soviet modernism, challenged by decades of controversy surrounding the term due to the anti-formalist campaigns of the 1930s and Cold War ideological battles. Offering a fresh lens, the exhibition sheds light on the often-overlooked variety within Soviet art, breaking down entrenched stereotypes and revealing the interconnections among post-avant-garde communities active after the 1932 ban on creative associations. By emphasizing the nuanced expressions of these artists—whose declarations were rendered in their unique painting styles rather than explicit statements—the exhibition invites viewers to reassess the rich tapestry of Soviet artistic heritage through a symbolist perspective, encouraging a more multidimensional understanding of its evolving narrative.
Why should you watch this?
Implicit Modernism. Roman Babichev’s Collection. Part II.
Russia
Moscow
2017
95
The exhibition presents Roman Babichev’s collection as a compelling exploration of Soviet modernism, challenged by decades of controversy surrounding the term due to the anti-formalist campaigns of the 1930s and Cold War ideological battles. Offering a fresh lens, the exhibition sheds light on the often-overlooked variety within Soviet art, breaking down entrenched stereotypes and revealing the interconnections among post-avant-garde communities active after the 1932 ban on creative associations. By emphasizing the nuanced expressions of these artists—whose declarations were rendered in their unique painting styles rather than explicit statements—the exhibition invites viewers to reassess the rich tapestry of Soviet artistic heritage through a symbolist perspective, encouraging a more multidimensional understanding of its evolving narrative.
Why should you watch this?
The exhibition challenges prevailing narratives about art and encourages critical engagement with the complexities of cultural identity. In a time when discussions about artistic censorship, identity politics, and the role of art in society are more pertinent than ever, this exhibition provides a vital platform to explore how historical legacies shape contemporary artistic expressions. By delving into the often-misunderstood facets of Soviet modernism, viewers will uncover important parallels with current global movements calling for the recognition of marginalized voices and the reevaluation of entrenched ideologies. The guided experience not only enriches understanding of the artwork but also fosters a dialogue about the role of art as a form of resistance and expression in addressing modern societal challenges.