Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art Exterior
The Kawamura Memorial DIC Museum of Art closed at the end of March.
Although it has been announced that the museum will relocate to Tokyo on a smaller scale, the museum in Sakura will effectively close.
Here, we would like to look back on the appeal of the museum, which has been loved by many people since its opening in 1990.
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When I think back on the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art, it overlaps with my memories of traveling.
This is because not only do I remember the works, but I also remember the short trips I took before and after visiting the museum.
Located 40 kilometers from the city center in northern Chiba Prefecture, Sakura City (about an hour from Tokyo Station by public transportation) does not require an overnight stay, but it is not a place you can visit on the way to somewhere else. The destination is specifically the art museum, and that is all.
Unlike visiting an art museum in a distant travel destination, there is no sightseeing in the surrounding area. It is a simple and stoic round-trip journey to the destination and back.
Upon arriving at the museum, you are greeted by an open view of mountains, forests, and ponds. You can stroll through the garden, which changes with the seasons, or enjoy a picnic with a packed lunch, so you can feel relaxed even if you dont enter the museum.
In addition, you are not limited to the special exhibitions. Inside the museum, there is a room dedicated to the works of Rothko and Cornell, so you can always enjoy high-quality works.
In the dimly lit “Roscoe Room,” your senses are sharpened. Upon exiting the room, the borrowed landscape visible through the large window to the left never fails to captivate. In the adjacent room on the upper floor, where Roscoes massive color field works are displayed, the all-glass walls create a contrasting space that further heightens the sensory experience.
On the slightly tiring journey home, I recall several such experiences and think, “That was nice” and “I want to go again.” Rather than “going to see an exhibition,” it is “going to the place called Kawamura” that creates a connection between me and the place. Furthermore, repeating the experience strengthens that connection. It brings a feeling that cannot be created by limited-time events or special venues.
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I believe that many people share a similar understanding based on their personal experiences. This is because the ideological nature of art museums [①high quality of works, ②consistency in the direction of the collection, ③identity of the “venue”] is clearly conveyed to visitors.
①High quality of works: DIC Corporations second president (and first museum director), Katsumi Kawamura, who had a deep knowledge of art, collected masterpieces by Picasso, Braque, and other great artists, while also being one of the first to start collecting American contemporary paintings by artists such as Morris Louis and Frank Stella. Furthermore, the third president, Shigekuni Kawamura, took an interest in postwar American art and expanded the collection. The Rothko Room collection was also added around this time.
②Consistency in the direction of the collection: DIC Corporation, the parent company, is a chemical manufacturer that handles printing inks, organic pigments, synthetic resins, and electronic information materials. The company prides itself on being “deeply involved in color and beauty” and has pursued its collection with a clear vision.
③ Identity of the space: The concept of “space” frequently appears as a keyword at Kawamura. For example, the museum and DICs research institute are positioned across a pond from each other. The “Color Field Painting,” which is central to the collection, signifies “the space of color/painting,” and in 2024, an exhibition featuring Carl Andre, known for his “sculpture as space,” was held.
The “venue” can be said to symbolize the identity of the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Arts location, its collection, and its exhibitions.
I feel that the many voices of regret expressed at the time of the museums closure were not only out of concern for the future of the collection. Those who had actually visited the museum must have felt sadness at the loss of a place they had grown attached to, where they had each had special encounters and experiences.
This is something I have experienced particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic: the more “good” a place is, the more we regret not visiting it more often before it disappears. The news of the Kawamura Museums closure was a mix of sadness, anger, and reflection.
Finally, I would like to share an anecdote related to the “Rothko Room,” which is at the heart of the collection. Rothko was an artist who placed great emphasis on the “issue of space.” In todays rapidly changing world, there is much to learn from Rothkos approach.
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Mark Rothko (1903–1970): Born into a Russian Jewish family. He moved to the United States in 1913 and decided to become a painter at the age of 20. After experimenting with figurative painting and surrealist expression, he began to paint abstract works. He established his own unique style, characterized by rectangular shapes of various colors that seem to float
The “Seagram Murals”exhibited in the Rothko Room was originally commissioned to be displayed on the walls of the Four Seasons restaurant, which was to open in the Seagram Building in New York. However, after dining at the completed restaurant, Rothko became furious and refused to hand over the painting. The reason for the contract termination appears to stem from the significant gap between the actual conditions of the restaurant and Roscoes envisioned display. However, even at the time of the commission, Roscoe reportedly had reservations, and the contract terms were such that he could have withdrawn at any time.
Rothko was an artist who was extremely afraid that his intentions would be distorted in the eyes of the viewer, and he often felt ill before exhibitions. He was particular about lighting and how the paintings were hung (he wanted large works to be hung low, close to the floor), and he was interested in controlling the exhibition space to “create the setting.”
The following letter, which conveys the artists beliefs, has been preserved.
“I feel a heavy responsibility for how my paintings will endure in this world, so I am willing to accept any exhibition that ensures the life and meaning of the works, and I wish to avoid anything that does not meet this expectation.” (Letter to the director of the Whitney Museum of American Art at the end of 1952*2. Rothko is said to have refused the museums purchase of his works.)
The “Seagram Murals”, created between 1958 and 1959, consisted of three sets, with approximately 40 canvas works of mural size. In addition, there were individual works outside the series, and it is difficult to determine which ones were part of the murals, according to Mark Rothko: A Biography.
During his lifetime, he never sold the murals from the second and third series, but in 1969, he donated nine pieces to the Tate Gallery. The five-year negotiation process from 1965 to 1969 leading up to this donation is fascinating for understanding Rothkos character.
It reveals the artists distrustful reaction when he felt that his paintings were being treated with contempt by the museum, his experimentation with various arrangements using models and miniature murals, his insistence on the need for a “dedicated room” so that his works would not be displayed alongside other works, and his insistence on permanent exhibition in search of a permanent home for his works.
After the artists suicide in 1970, seven pieces of the “Seagram Murals” were acquired by the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art, 13 pieces by the Washington National Gallery, and the remaining pieces are owned by Rothkos children.
Reference: Mark Rothko: A Biography by James E. B. Breslin, translated by Tetsuo Kinoshita, 2019, Bookend Co., Ltd.
Rothko: The Artists Reality by Mark Rothko, edited by Christopher Rothko, translated by Kazuo Nakabayashi, 2009, Misuzu Shobo
*1 Mark Rothko: A Biography “13 Seagram Murals” p. 437
*2 Mark Rothko: A Biography “11 Proper Evaluation” p. 356
This time, Walls Tokyo is pleased to present works by Joseph Albers, who is also part of the Kawamura Memorial Museum of Art collection. In 2023, the museum held an exhibition titled “Joseph Albers Lessons: Laboratory of Color and Materials.”
Joseph Albers (1888-1976) was born in Germany. After studying at the Bauhaus, which comprehensively taught art and architecture in Germany at the time, he went on to teach there. Following the closure of the Bauhaus, he moved to the United States. He is known for his simple abstract paintings featuring multiple squares arranged in a regular pattern. He continued his art education in the United States, with notable students including Robert Rauschenberg and Cy Twombly.
Josef Albers「Formulation:Articulation #2441」 1972 silkscreen
Josef Albers「Formulation:Articulation #2440 」1972 silkscreen
text：tomiko mabuchi
This column was sent as part of our newsletter dated May 30, 2025.
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