Exhibition-Art nouveau in Japan

Art Nouveau’s style and ideology were developed as an answer to the need for a new approach to art and design at the end of the nineteenth century. At the backbone of this development was Japanese art (and Japonisme), which provided a major inspiration to the art and design world of the time. However, the popularity and global development of the movement in its turn provided a new impetus to its land of origin. In Japan, Art Nouveau encouraged artists to transcend art and design genres, and to re-evaluate traditional crafts and designs, activities that can be said to be the starting point of modern Japanese craft design.

This exhibition introduces the influence and development of Art Nouveau in Japan. It will feature graphic works of artists that were considered central figures linked to the art movement in Japan, and kimono, a medium in which Art Nouveau played an important role.

This exhibition is exhibited in two venues: part 1 (chapter 1, 2 and 3) at Les Halles Saint-Géry, and part 2 (chapter 4) at the Japan Information and Cultural Centre (JICC) of the Embassy of Japan in Brussels (Rue Van Maerlant 1, 1000 Bruxelles).Free