The end of the avant-garde, and a step beyond it.
This exhibition focuses on a unique thread in the history of Japanese photography that links four individuals: art critic TAKIGUCHI Shuzo (1903–79), painter and photographer ABE Nobuya (1913–71), and photographers OTSUJI Kiyoji
(1923–2001) and GOCHO Shigeo (1946–83). It traces the history of the spirit underpinning photography, starting with Takiguchi’s discovery in the late 1930s of the “beauty hidden in the deep folds of everyday reality.”
This spirit was inherited by many artists after WWII, but its influence on Otsuji and his student, Gocho, was more critical. They observed how “everyday reality” shifted with the times and sought to find something that transcended reality in the depths of its folds.
These four minds reveal the absurdity of “nothing much.” Come and take a good, long look at their work.

Information

Duration	December 2, 2023－February 4, 2024
Admission	General: 800 yen (640 yen); University Students: 640 yen (510 yen); High-School Students/Seniors 60 and Older: 400 yen (320 yen); Elementary/Junior-High-School Students: 100 yen (80 yen) *Numbers inside parentheses ( ) are admission fees for groups of ten or more and for Shibuya residents.. *Elementary and junior-high-school students are admitted free of charge on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays. *Shibuya residents are admitted free of charge on Fridays. *Persons with disabilities and up to one attendant are admitted free of charge.
Closed	Mondays (except for January 8, 2024 ), December 29, 2023 to January 3 and 9 2024
Organized by: The Shoto Museum of Art With the special cooperation of Musashino Art University Museum & Library With planning assistance from: Art Impression Inc. ※Works will be replaced during the exhibition period. ※Repeater Discount※ A discount will be offered for repeat admission to the exhibition The Spirit of Avant-Garde Photography: Transforming “Nothing Much”. In exchange for the stub of a paid admission ticket, you will receive a 20% discount on the regular admission fee. Please make sure the discount is available from the day after the viewing date.