21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art

The museum may be overshadowed by its two neighboring touristic monsters, but it had already welcomed ten millions visitors as of August 2011, which made it one of the most visited museum in Japan. As its name suggests, it displays artworks by contemporary Japanese and international artists.

Kanazawa’s 21st Century Museum is characterized by its circular 112,5 meters diameter architecture, of a very low rise that looks embedded in the land, with glass walls and without a distinctive main entrance (there are in fact five entrances). The building was designed by Japanese architect agency Sanaa, who also designed the Louvre-Lens in France and the new MOMA in New York.

The central area, accessible for a fee, shelters exhibitions and permanent collections, whereas the outer part and the park, of free access, welcome various spaces: a library, a workshop for children, a conference room, a shop, etc.

One of the museum’s most famous artwork is the surprising Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich, an Argentinian artist living in Paris. A trompe l’oeil ceiling creates the illusion of a full pool, in which visitors can walk. As a key element of the exhibits, it is integrated in the very structure of the building and became one of its symbols.

Among the temporary exhibitions, we noticed a focus on Nizo Yamamoto, the art director who worked on several Studio Ghibli movies such as Castle 🏯 in the Sky, The Grave of the Fireflies or Princess Mononoke, from 2014, November 13 to December 14. The exhibitions calendar is naturally available on the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa’ s official website.