Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM)
Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM) 大分県立美術館 is designed by renowned Japanese architect Ban Shigeru, much of the exterior of the building is glass. The permanent collection of art concentrates on artists with a relationship to Oita.
Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM) 大分県立美術館
Opened in 2015, the new Oita Prefectural Art Museum (OPAM) in Oita is somewhat unusual for an art museum.
Designed by renowned Japanese architect Ban Shigeru, much of the exterior of the building is glass, thus allowing those outside to easily look in, and conversely the light from the outside to fill the interior.
These glass walls can also be opened to even further blur the distinction between inside and outside. The aim is to create a public space for people to spend time and also for a variety of events to take place.
The new Oita Prefectural Art Museum designed by Ban Shigeru and opened in 2015, Oita
The OpAm logo in front of the Oita Prefectural Art Museum
OPAM Exhibits
The large atrium space contains the museum shop and a small cafe serving drinks as well as numerous large-scale art installations specially commissioned for the museum.
Mai Miyake has several pieces, Where All Gods Have One Name, Home Sweet Home, Suifu and World Cuckoo Clock. There are two other quite large installations, one by Marcel Wanders titled Garden Spirits, and one by Sudo Reiko titled Watershed Weeds.
The second floor has a large reference library open to the public, lecture rooms where talks and workshops are held, and furthermore a larger cafe that serves food as well as drinks.
A covered walkway extends from the second floor across the street to the Iichiko Culture Center with an auditorium.
Open to the sky, the Amaniwa art roof garden at Oita Prefectural Art Museum
"Where All the Gods Have One Name" art installation by Mai Miyake in the atrium at OPAM
Galleries
On the third floor are the main galleries which lead off from a roof garden, Amaniwa.
Enclosed in glass, and open to the sky through an elliptical opening in the latticed roof, the space displays small ceramic and glass works by the Japanese artists: Kyoko Tokomaru, Mariko Isozaki and Yoshihiko Takahashi.
The permanent collection of art concentrates on artists with a relationship to Oita. The paintings and sketches of Fukuda Heihachiro (1892-1974) and Takayama Tatsuo (1912-2007) are well represented
Older works by Tanomura Chikuden (1777-1835) and many of his apprentices are on show. Twentieth century sculptures by artists such as Fumio Asakura (1883-1964) and Yoshimura Masunobu (1932-2011) are on view as well as a variety of craftworks in clay, bamboo, lacquer, fabric and other materials.
Visitors can use their tablet or smartphone to listen to audio commentary in English on selected artworks.
The atrium at OPAM. In the foreground an installation by Mai Miyake, Suifu (The city of sea bottom) and in the background work by Sudo Reiko
OPAM Access
OPAM is open 7 days a week, from 10am to 7pm on weekdays and Sundays. The museum is also open from 10am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday.
Entry to the atrium area is free. For the permanent collection, entry is 300 yen for adults and 200 yen for high school and university students. Junior high school students and younger enter free. Temporary exhibitions may have a further charge.
OPAM
2-1 Kotobuki-machi
Oita-shi, Oita 870-0036
Tel: 0975 33 4500
The museum is about a 15 minute, one kilometer walk from Oita Station or the Funai Castle ruins. By car, 10 minutes from Oita IC.