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Murakami-Ego is the name of an exhibition by Japanese artist
Takashi Murakami is a Japanese contemporary artist. He works in fine arts media (such as painting and sculpture) as well as commercial (such as fashion, merchandise, and animation) and is known for blurring the line between high and low arts as well as co ae ...
that took place in ALRIWAQ Doha exhibition space,
Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it ...
, between 9 February and 24 June 2012.Murakami-Ego Exhibition Microsite
It is the first solo exhibition for the artist in both Qatar and the
Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
,Takashi Murakami: Ego at Al-Riwaq exhibition hall, Doha, Qatar
in Designboom
as well as his biggest exhibition ever, showcasing over 60 works created since 1997, alongside new ones designed especially for the exhibition. Murakami-Ego is, additionally, the third and last chapter of a trilogy of exhibitions that started off in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, then moved to the
Château de Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed ...
in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
.Takashi Murakami “Ego” Exhibition @ Al Riwaq Exhibition Hall
in Hypebeast, 14 February 2012
The exhibition was curated by
Massimiliano Gioni Massimiliano Gioni (born 1973) is an Italian curator and contemporary art critic based in New York City, and Artistic Director at the New Museum. He is the Artistic Director of the Nicola Trussardi Foundation in Milan as well as the Artistic Dire ...
, one of the most important contemporary Italian art critics and curators.


Background

In September 2010, Murakami launched his controversial exhibition at the Château de Versailles.Murakami Versailles
in Cool Hunting, 13 September 2010
Sheikha Al-Mayassa Al Thani, the chairperson of the Qatar Museums Authority (which sponsored in part the Château de Versailles exhibition), visited the exhibition and decided to invite Murakami to bring his works to Qatar.Art in the Middle East- Dubai & Doha
/ref> Initially, the exhibition was supposed to take place at the Doha Museum of Islamic Art, but the artist found the venue small for his works. The Qatar Museums Authority decided then to build a temporary exhibition hall for the exhibition, which would later become ALRIWAQ Doha exhibition space. The exhibition took a few months to be installed, with Murakami using a team of 200 people to make sure he met the deadline for the opening.Hundred-metre dash
in the
Economist An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field there are ...
, 18 February 2012
Yet, the main piece at the exhibition, a 100-metre-long wall painting named (temporarily) Aarhat that was specially commissioned for the show, was not finished by the time the exhibition opened for the public on February 9, 2012.


Main Themes

Murakami-Ego touches upon different themes, such as consumerism, interpretation, and exchange.Qatar Museums Authority to Present Murakami – Ego A New Exhibition by Japanese Artist Takashi Murakami (Official Press Release)
It marries the joyful aspects of pop culture with the sadness and darkness of natural disasters (and mainly the
Fukushima nuclear disaster The was a nuclear accident in 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan. The proximate cause of the disaster was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which occurred on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 ...
). It provides a glimpse into the personality of the artist and his ego, while showcasing his attachment to his origins and his religion, which is
Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
. Of all the objects in the exhibition, two particularly represent the themes of the exhibition: the Artist's giant inflatable self-portrait and the Aarhat wall painting. The 6-metre high self-portrait shows the artist as a giant meditating
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
greeting his visitors at the entrance of the exhibition space,See Murakami's "Ego" on Display
in Dudebox, 15 February 2012
whereas the Aarhat wall painting depicts the suffering of the Japanese people following the Fukushima disaster, as well as how Buddhism helped many of them get the much needed spiritual relief and strength to face the loss of their relatives.TAKASHI MURAKAMI'S EGO
in Dazed Digital
It is important to note that, when asked about the main theme of his exhibition, Takashi Murakami insisted that it is about religion and how Buddhism can bridge the cultural gaps between nations. He said: "The theme is religion and how people experience religion in different ways. Religion is important here and in Japan. I wanted to bridge the gap through the importance of religion".


Objects

The exhibition included objects from Murakami's previous works alongside new ones. Objects are mostly sculptures, paintings and inflatable portraits representing the artist. * Welcome to Murakami Ego: It is the giant inflatable portrait of the artist, located at the entrance of the ALRIWAQ Doha exhibition space. It is the first artwork that greets visitors to the exhibition. The inflatable is six-meter tall, and it depicts the artist in a seated-Buddha pose, extending his right hand in a gesture of welcome.
in the Daily Yomiur, 15 June 2012
* Aarhat: Aarhat is a 100-metre long, three-metre high wall painting created especially for the exhibition. The painting is composed of four parts and is still unfinished. One part depicts monks in a Buddhist prayer stature, another part shows monks in meditation and others flying around them. The painting was inspired by the work of a 19th-century Buddhist painter called Kano Kazunobu. A total of 200 Japanese university art students were involved in drawing the painting.


References


External links


Qatar Museums Authority to Present Murakami – Ego A New Exhibition by Japanese Artist Takashi Murakami (Official Press Release)

Murakami's Interview with Rooksana Hossenally in Dazed Digital
{{authority control Exhibitions Japanese portrait painters