Prism of the Real: Making Art in Japan 1989-2010

Prism of the Real: Making Art in Japan 1989–2010 examines the practices of more than 50 artists from Japan and abroad. It explores both the art that emerged in Japan and how Japanese culture inspired the world between 1989, when the Shōwa era (1926–1989) ended and the Heisei era (1989–2019) began, and 2010.

These two decades saw the end of the Cold War and the advent of contemporary globalization, enabling the freer movement of people, goods, and information, and greatly encouraging international dialogue and engagement. Throughout this period, artists in Japan and elsewhere pursued new approaches, acting as prisms that refracted the social and cultural currents of the time into works that pose diverse questions. Co-curated by The National Art Center, Tokyo and M+, Hong Kong, this exhibition reflects on this critical transitional period through the lens of art. It presents a multifaceted view in which multiple histories and contexts coexist, while looking at Japan as a platform for artistic creation from both national and international perspectives.

Featured artists
Aida Makoto, Matthew Barney, Cai Guo-Qiang, Christo, François Curlet, Dumb Type, Fukuda Miran, Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster, David Hammons, Pierre Huyghe, Ishiuchi Miyako, Joan Jonas, Kasahara Emiko, Kawamata Tadashi, Kazama Sachiko, Koizumi Meiro, Lee Bul, Sharon Lockhart, Miyajima Tatsuo, Mori Mariko, Morimura Yasumasa, Murakami Takashi, Nagashima Yurie, Nakahara Kodai, Nakamura Masato, Nara Yoshitomo, Nishiyama Minako, Ohtake Shinro, Oscar Oiwa, Ozawa Tsuyoshi, Philippe Parreno, Navin Rawanchaikul, Shiga Lieko, Shimabuku, Shitamichi Motoyuki, Sone Yutaka, Simon Starling, Hito Steyerl, Thomas Struth, Tabaimo, Takamine Tadasu, Fiona Tan, Teruya Yuken, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Tsubaki Noboru, Franz West, Xijing Men, Yamashiro Chikako, Yanagi Miwa, Yanagi Yukinori, Yanobe Kenji, Yoneda Tomoko, etc. and archival materials.
*Alphabetical by last name

Curators’ comments
“This collaboration with the National Art Center, Tokyo extends and deepens M+'s commitment to Japanese contemporary art and visual culture in the museum’s transnational collections and programming.

We are confident that Prism of the Real: Making Art in Japan 1989–2010 offers a refreshing look at a critical moment in Japanese culture and society in the first two decades of globalization, when contemporary art served as fertile ground for porous exchanges and dialogues. Eschewing a national framework, the exhibition hopes to remind viewers of a remarkable period of internationalism and encourage them to reflect on the possibility of dialogues with the wider world in the 21st century.”

—Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+

“In this ambitious curatorial collaboration, we reflect on a time when artists cast their gaze on everyday life while imbuing their work with sociopolitical messages.

Prism of the Real is being carried out through a constant dialogue between two museums rooted in Asian cities, M+ in Hong Kong and the National Art Center, Tokyo. We examine, from multiple perspectives, art that emerged amid the complexities of an era marked by dynamic shifts in society, politics, economy, and technology.”

—Kamiya Yukie, Head, Curatorial Division, Chief Curator, The National Art Center, Tokyo

Related events

Artists' talk
Saturday, September 13, 2025, 2–5pm
With: MORIMURA Yasumasa, KAZAMA Sachiko, Fiona TAN, Xijing Men (OZAWA Tsuyoshi and GIMHONGSOK)
*English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation available. 

Special screening: Matthew Barney DRAWING RESTRAINT 9
Saturday, October 25, 2025, 10:30am–12:55pm / 1:30–3:55pm / 4:30–6:55pm
In conjunction with Prism of the Real: Making Art in Japan 1989-2010, the National Art Center, Tokyo, presents a special screening of DRAWING RESTRAINT 9 (2005), directed and written by Matthew Barney.
Premiered at a solo exhibition held at the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa, in 2005, this film unfolds a unique love story of release and transformation while drawing on Japanese culture such as traditional whaling and tea ceremony. Matthew Barney’s triptyque photograph DRAWING RESTRAINT 9: Mirror Position is exhibited and on view in the Exhibition gallery.

Symposium
Friday, November 7, 2025, 3–5pm
With: Sunhye Cho (Associate Curator, Mori Art Museum), Azusa Hashimoto (Curator, The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto; The National Museum of Art, Osaka), Hiroki Yamamoto (Cultural studies scholar, Associate Professor at Jissen Women's University), Doryun Chong (Greetings: Doryun Chong, Artistic Director and Chief Curator, M+) Isabella Tam (Curator, Visual Art, M+), Jihye Yun (Curator, the National Art Center, Tokyo)

*English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation available.

Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo (NACT), 3F Auditorium
Admission: Free for exhibition ticket holders