Roppongi Art Night 2024 in Tokyo: A Celebration of Art and the City

Roppongi Art Night 2024: A Festival of City, Art, and Future

Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024
Roppongi Art Night 2024, one of Tokyo's major annual art events, will be held from September 27 - 29, 2024. During the event, the art museums and public spaces in the Roppongi area will be hosting around 40 art displays, performances, and installations by about 30 artist groups from Japan and abroad.

What sets Roppongi Art Night 2024 apart from other art events is that many works can be enjoyed until 23:00 during the first two days of the festival, making it an excellent chance to experience the vibrant atmosphere of Tokyo at night.

This year's edition brings two new initiatives: RAN Picks, a program featuring artwork of notable artists, and RAN Focus, which showcases works by artists from a specific country or region. This year’s RAN Focus features artists from Taiwan.

We introduce some of the highlights of Roppongi Art Night 2024 by venue.

Roppongi Art Night 2024 Highlights

1. Roppongi Hills
2. Mori Art Museum
3. Tokyo Midtown
4. Suntory Museum of Art
5. 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT
6. The National Art Center, Tokyo
7. Roppongi Crossing / Other Areas of Roppongi
8. Free Guided Tours in English

Roppongi Hills

"Ephemeral Collection" by Atelier Sisu. Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024

The Roppongi Hills area will host the most art displays and performances. One of the must-see highlights is "Ephemeral Collection" by Atelier Sisu, featured in the RAN Picks program. This immersive installation uses light and sound to capture the concept of transience.

"Bliss of Luxuriance–Reflection" by Tsai & Yoshikawa (shown in the main image) uses raw materials to express the energies of water, light, and air, compelling the viewer to think about the elements essential for life on earth.

"Monster War Records of Hakaio" by Ryo Hirayama and Takumi Hirayama of Hirayama Productions. Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024
Hirayama Productions is a unit formed by two brothers, painter Ryo and sculptor Takumi, who collaborate to create a series of works inspired by their communication as siblings and artists.

New Paradise of Silent Island, performance by MeimageDance. Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024

MeimageDance and Watermelon Sisters are two units from Taiwan featured in the festival's RAN Focus program. Their performances offer insights into Taiwan's contemporary art and society, where Western and Eastern cultures meet and shape each other.

The above are just a few of the highlights, with many other art displays and performances held at Roppongi Hills.

Mori Art Museum

Louise Bourgeois, "Maman" (1999/2002), the collection of Mori Building Company (Tokyo). Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024

The Mori Art Museum will host an exhibition of works by Louise Bourgeois, known for the iconic giant spider sculpture, Maman, exhibited at Roppongi Hills.

The artist's first major solo exhibition in Japan in 27 years will showcase her career of over 70 years through approximately one hundred works, encompassing sculptures, paintings, drawings, and installations.

The exhibition will be on view at Mori Art Museum until January 19, 2025.

Tokyo Midtown

"Mossmo" (rendering), 2024, by Pu Chen. Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024

The Tokyo Midtown complex will also be hosting art displays and performances. "Mossmo" by Taiwanese artist Pu Chen is one of the highlights. The artist is known for works that explore the balance between city and nature by combining 3D data of living creatures with animation, augmented and mixed reality (AR and MR), and physical sculpture.

"Blue Fox" by Hiroko Kubo. Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024

"Blue Fox," a sculpture by Hiroko Kubo inspired by the legends related to place names around the Roppongi area, will be on display on the first floor of the shopping complex.

Tokyo Midtown will also host performances by the Shuta Hasunuma Philharmonic Orchestra, a genre-defying contemporary musical unit with a large fanbase in Japan.

There are many other works to enjoy at this venue. Please check the official website for more information.

Suntory Museum of Art

Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024

The Suntory Museum of Art participates in the event with an exhibition of works by Hanabusa Itchō (1652-1724), a painter who was active mainly in Edo and is known for his vivid depictions of people and their lives in the city.

There is also a rakugo storytelling event on September 28, as well as a workshop that allows visitors to enjoy the museum collection through digital content.

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT

ROPPONGI ROKKEN: SEI CASE by Michele De Lucchi. Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024

21_21 DESIGN SIGHT has two exhibitions starting at around the same time as the art festival. “pooploop” explores our environment, examining everything from our immediate surroundings to outer space, with a focus on various forms of waste and excrement.

The other exhibition features six works by cutting-edge architect Michele De Lucchi his sculptural series "Loggia" that explores the concept of “Space-in Between” in architecture.

The National Art Center, Tokyo

The National Art Center, Tokyo will host several exhibitions, including outdoor displays and performances.

"Adventures in Memory," the first major retrospective of the internationally acclaimed artist Keiichi Tanaami (b. 1936), a black-painted, enormous paper sculpture by Jennifer Wen Ma, the Inter College Animation Festival 2024, and other exhibitions are scheduled, making this venue a must-visit!

Roppongi Crossing / Other Areas of Roppongi

"Slapstick" by Shinji Mitsuzuka. Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024

Exciting artwork will be on display in several other buildings in the Roppongi area, including "Slapstick" by Shinji Mitsuzuka, which will be on view at the Lapiros Roppongi Building with free admission.

For other highlights, please check the official website of the event.

Free Guided Tours in English

Roppongi Art Night 2024 offers free guided tours in English! There is one tour per day with a capacity of 15 participants and each tour lasts about one hour and a half.

The participants will walk through the streets of Roppongi, viewing works throughout the city and discussing them with one another. Planned in collaboration with Naoto John Tanaka.

Dates:
1. September 27 (Fri), 17:00-18:30
2. September 28 (Sat), 20:00-21:30
3. September 29 (Sun), 14:00-15:30

Admission: Free *Reservation required
*Details on how to make a reservation will be announced on the official website of Roppongi Art Night 2024.

Experience Tokyo's Art Scene at Roppongi Art Night 2024

Featured above are just a few of the event's highlights. As times change and values evolve, this festival showcases fresh ways to experience art and its potential in society. This fall, join Roppongi Art Night 2024, where diverse cultures and creativity come together.

Roppongi Art Night 2024: Event Information

Dates: September 27 (Friday) - 29 (Sunday), 2024

Venues: Roppongi Hills, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo Midtown, Suntory Museum of Art, 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, The National Art Center, Tokyo, Roppongi Shopping Street, and other cooperating facilities and public spaces in the Roppongi area.

Admission: Free (*some programs and museum exhibitions require a fee)

Roppongi Hills

6-10-1, Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-6108

Main image: Tsai & Yoshikawa, Bliss of Luxuriance–Daydream 1&2 Light, Wind and Dreams 3. Picture courtesy of Roppongi Art Night 2024
Information and photo source: Roppongi Art Night 2024 press release