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Past Exhibitions
[Main Building]
Upon the 60th Anniversary of the NMWA
Le Corbusier and the Age of Purism

[Main Building]
Upon the 60th Anniversary of the NMWA
Le Corbusier and the Age of Purism

Dates
Tuesday, 19 February 2019 - Sunday, 19 May 2019
Hours
9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Fridays, Saturdays 9:30 am – 8:00 pm
Admission ends 30 mins. before closing time
Closed
Mondays except 25 March, 29 April and 6 May 2019.
Closed onTuesday, 7 May 2019.
Organized by
The National Museum of Western Art
Fondation Le Corbusier
The Tokyo Shimbun
NHK
With the support of
Embassy of France / Institut français du Japon
Embassy of Switzerland in Japan
The Japan Institute of Architects
Architectural Institute of Japan
With the sponsorship of
Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.
With the cooperation of
Centre des monuments nationaux
JAPAN AIRLINES
Yamato Global Logistics Japan Co., Ltd.
Echelle-1
Yasojima Proceed Co.,Ltd.
The Western Art Foundation
Admission Fees
Adults 1,600 yen, College students 1,200 yen, High school students 800 yen
Advance purchase/Discount fees for groups of 20 or more
Adults 1,400 yen, College students 1,000yen, High school students 600 yen
Advance purchase tickets will be on sale from Monday, 19 November 2018 until Monday, 18 February 2019. At the museum ticket office, advance ticket will be available from Tuesday, 20 November 2018 until Sunday, 20 January 2019.
Full admission fees apply from Tuesday, 19 February 2019.
Junior high school and younger children admitted free of charge.
Disabled visitors admitted free of charge with one attendant. Please present your disability identification upon arrival.
During the exhibition ‘Le Corbusier and the Age of Purism’, the Permanent Collection display will be held only in the New Wing. Please be aware that a ticket for this exhibition is required to view the Main Building galleries designed as a World Heritage Site.
Number of visitors
189,464

The Main Building of the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo was designed by Le Corbusier (1887-1965), one of the 20th century’s greatest architects. The building was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016 as one of the selected works worldwide that comprise “The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement.” This exhibition, commemorating the NMWA’s 60th anniversary, focuses on the period when the young Swiss-born architect Charles-Édouard Jeanneret (Le Corbusier) settled in Paris, the capital of modern art, and promoted a movement called Purism. It considers his almost decade-long work in such diverse areas as painting, architecture, urban planning, publishing and interior design.

In late 1918, just after the end of World War I, Jeanneret and the painter Amédée Ozenfant began the Purism movement, which advocated an art of “construction and synthesis” that would correspond with the development of modern technology. Applying himself to painting as he also sought new forms of architecture, Jeanneret was greatly inspired in the 1920s by his interaction with the leading artists of the Parisian avant-garde, which encouraged his transformation into Le Corbusier, standard-bearer of modern architecture.

This exhibition presents approximately 100 artworks by Le Corbusier and his fellow artists, supplemented with such diverse materials as architectural models, publications and films. It will provide a unique opportunity to experience the spirit of the modern age that Le Corbusier sought to express, all set within a museum building of his own design.

Lectures and Slide Talks will be also held at a museum. Please visit each page for detail.

Exhibition Checklist (PDF file, about 175KB)PDF