ExhibitionsPAUL KLEE: Art in the Making 1883-1940

PAUL KLEE: Art in the Making 1883-1940

《Landschaft bei E. (in Bayern), 1921,182》
Landschaft bei E. (in Bayern), 1921,182
Landscape near E. (in Bavaria), 1921,182
oil and pen on paper on cardboard,
49.8×35.2cm, Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern
©Abteilung für Medientechnologie,
Universität Bern /
Archiv Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern 　　The Swiss-born painter, Paul Klee (1879-1940), has been beloved by the Japanese for many years, and numerous exhibitions have been held in the past. As illustrated by such subtitles as "Erzählung und Schöpfung (Narrative and Creation)", "Paul Klee and His Travels", and "To Draw, To Paint", these exhibitions have served to relay the charms of Klee's art to many, poetically extolling the stories surrounding his works and the creative philosophy. This Klee exhibition, which will be the first to be held in Kyoto and Tokyo at the National Museum of Modern Art, will build upon the legacy of these prior exhibitions to focus on a perspective that has not previously been considered, how Klee's works were physically created.
　　From 1911 onwards, Klee created an ongoing list of his work throughout his career. This list, which begins with a work in 1883, when the artist was four years old, contains approximately 9,600 entries. These entries include not only the title of the work, but also a detailed description of the method used to create each work, indicating that how each work was created was of extreme importance to this artist. Klee kept a document of this "working process" through photographs of his atelier, and categorized certain of his works as "Sonderklasse (Special Class)", keeping these works at hand to use as models to reflect on. 《ベルンのアトリエでのパウル・クレー》

Paul Klee in his atelier, Bern, 1939

Photo: Felix Klee, Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern,

donated by his bereaved family

©Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern

　　This exhibition, consisting of approximately 170 pieces selected mainly from the Zentrum Paul Klee in Bern, contains many works which have never been shown in Japan. Comprised of six chapters, two that introduce the works recorded in his atelier photographs and the model works that he categorized as "Special Class", and others that investigate the specific techniques used in the creative process, this exhibition seeks to shed light on the creative working process of Klee's art. Throughout his life, Klee pursued not only the philosophy of art and the artist, but also specifically how art is created by the hands of the artist. Investigating Klee's interest in this issue will provide a new critical perspective on production from which to consider art in the present day, in the years after the birth of the ready-made.

Exhibition dates: Saturday, March 12– Sunday, May 15; Closed on Mondays; Exception: Open on March 21 (Mon./Holiday) and May 2 (Mon.) Closed on March 22 (Tue.)
Hours: Regular hours; 9:30AM-5:00PM (admission until 4:30PM); Evening hours (every Friday); 9:30AM-8:00PM (admission until 7:30PM)
Organized by: The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; Nikkei Inc.; The Kyoto Shimbun Co., Ltd
Assisted by: Embassy of Switzerland　in Japan; Television Osaka, Inc.
Sponsored by: SOMPO JAPAN INSURANCE INC.; Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.; Toray Industries, Inc.
Cooperated by: Zentrum Paul Klee, Bern; Swiss International Air Lines; Japan Airlines; Switzerland Tourism
Admission: *Collection gallery is available with this ticket.; * Visitors with disability and one person accompanying them are; 　admitted free of charge.(Please present certificate at the admission.); *Advance tickets:; 　Ticket Pia　(P-code: 764-459); 　Lawson　　　(L-code: 55069); 　Other major ticket vendors and convenience stores
Publicity materials: Flyer PDF（3MB）
Other museums: The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo 2011/5/31 (Tue.) – 7/31 (Sun.)

	Day of admission	Advance	Group (20 or more)
Adult	1,500	1,300	1,100
University students	1,100	900	800
High school students	700	500	400
Junior high school students and younger	Free	Free	Free

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