"Seven Series Sunflowers" ceremony and unveiling ceremony
On 2018/3/21 I reach the opening 20th anniversary, and the Otsuka Museum of Art (Director Ichiro Otsuka, Naruto-shi, Tokushima) reproduces all "Sunflower" of the vase which Gogh drew as the commemorative project 7 points to actual size with Sue board and opens it to the public in the exhibition room which I established newly.
Many people attended at the domestic and foreign people concerned including those who cooperated on "Sunflower" on Tuesday, 3/20 of the public day before possession building and held ceremony and an unveiling ceremony.
■State (from the left) of the unveiling ceremony
Satomi Fukushima (acting Saneatsu Mushanokouji Memorial secretary general)
Ryuta Nakajima (Seiji Togou memory SOMPO JAPAN Japan national policy for the rise of Asia Museum director)
Ferris Fischer (Philadelphia Museum of Art seat of honor curator [Orient art])
Christian Gertinger (representative from State of Federal Republic of Germany Bayern stationing in Japan representative district)
Julie Molloy (London National Gallery Company's president)
Ricardo van Damme (President of Van Gogh Museum Enterprises)
Martin Bailey (Van Gogh specialist)
Hanako Yabuki (great-granddaughter Koyata Yamamato who purchased fantastic "Sunflower")
Nobuyuki Senzoku (Otsuka Museum of Art picture arts and sciences committee member [modern times], the display supervision of Seijo University's emeritus professor ※ this time)
Ichiro Otsuka (Otsuka Museum of Art director)
■From Otsuka Museum of Art director Ichiro Otsuka
I reproduced all "Sunflower" of the vase which Gogh drew as business of the 20th anniversary of the Otsuka Museum of Art opening 7 points to actual size with Sue board and progressed to display permanent construction in the exhibition room which I established newly.
At this museum, "Sunflower," which is in the possession of the Van Gogh Museum of Art, has been displayed since this museum first opened; in 2014/10, the phantom "sunflower" destroyed in the Hanshin Blitzkreig while located in Ashiya City, Hyogo, was recreated and added to the display. With this addition as an opportunity, it has become the newest dream and goal of this museum to display all 7 pieces of the "Sunflower" series together; as we progress towards the museum's 20th anniversary, we have challenged ourselves with the project of once again adding 5 pieces to the exhibit.
I think that the reproduction with the Sue board which does not fade contributes to the way of record preservation and the utilization of cultural assets in the future without this display being the epoch-making attempt that there is no such precedent in the world, and deteriorating for one thousand and a flow when it is eternal for 2 thousand years.
■Supervision Nobuyuki Chiashi
(Otsuka Museum of Art picture arts and sciences committee [modern times], Seijo University's emeritus professor) ※This display supervision
A work called "Sunflower" is the work which is special for Gogh and, according to his letter, "wants to decorate the atelier of Arles with the Sunflower which oneself drew. And I had a dream saying I want to meet sworn friend Gauguin.
However, he has cut off a life without unfortunately being able to carry out a dream to make a room and an art museum of the Sunflower which collected "Sunflower" all together.
Then a dream of Gogh came true in this Japan which passed through first century or more. Because it was Gogh whom Japan loves, I think that I was pleased with today's day than anyone else if he lived.
The number of flowers in the 7 "Sunflower" pieces differs slightly depending on the piece, but supposing that １ work has 15 flowers, if you add together the 5 pieces that have 75 flowers and the phantom "Sunflower" from Ashiya City in our collection, there are more than 80 sunflowers blooming together in our collection; this is a very wonderful thing to us.
President of Van Gogh Museum Enterprises Ricardo van Damme
An unprecedented attempt to display "Sunflower" of Gogh in one room is experience of the highest peak for an aesthete. The work of the delicate, precious "Sunflower" lying scattered all over the world is going to loan no art museum daringly. Because nobody was able to realize that I display seven "Sunflower" in a large hall more than the first century, in such current situation, it may be said that the Otsuka Museum of Art which realized this unique display is special.
As you know, Gogh was interested in Japan and art of Japan and collected ukiyoe prints. He was attracted in particular by the composition of the ukiyoe print, the rich coloration, subject and a warm viewpoint to nature. And we Van Gogh Museum has been building Japan and the close relations in the same way as Gogh for many years, too.
In hope of all of you who came to Tokushima being able to enjoy this new display "7 Series Sunflowers", I want to celebrate the 20th anniversary.
■Van Gogh specialist Martin Bailey
Gogh produced the "Sunflower" series in order to hang them in the Gaughin rooms of his "yellow house" in Arles. He first placed 3 sunflowers in a vase, and later on 6 more, and then 14 more, 15 more, and surprisingly within 1 week he has completed 4 pieces in the "Sunflower" series.
When I was writing "The Sunflowers are Mine," I learned that this "Sunflowers" was in Japan 1 century earlier. The Ashiya City entrepeneur Yamamoto Koyata had purchased it, but this piece was destroyed in the fires of war in 1945. When I saw in the picture collection at the Saneatsu Mushanokouji Memorial Museum that the "Sunflower" piece had been framed in an orange frame, I was surprised, and I quickly confirmed Van Gogh's letters and discovered that he had intended to frame it in an orange wood frame. This "Sunflower" can be seen here in the Otsuka Museum of Art. Furthermore, Van Gogh painted 3 more pieces, one of which being in the Togo Seiji Memorial of the SOMPO Museum of Art.
Within the ７ "Sunflower" pieces, １ was lost, and the others are spread across Europe, America, and Japan, which means bringing them together is a challenge. One step into this gallery surrounds you with "Sunflowers."