"SPIRIT OF JAPAN" AT THE NOMAD IMMERSIVE MUSEUM: A SENSORY JOURNEY THROUGH JAPANESE ART

2024/09/10

For the first time in Spain, the "Spirit of Japan" exhibition in Madrid offers a unique experience that will transport visitors through the most celebrated works of the Ukiyo-e art movement . This exhibition can be enjoyed at the Nomad Museo Immersivo until October 27 , presenting an exceptional opportunity to delve into the atmosphere of this influential Japanese art.

Ukiyo-e , known as “pictures of the floating world,” is a style of printmaking and painting that flourished in Japan between the 17th and 19th centuries. This exhibition includes 400 works by renowned masters such as Katsushika Hokusai , famous for his iconic “Great Wave,” as well as other noted artists such as Kitagawa Utamaro , Utagawa Kuniyoshi , and Utagawa Hiroshige . These pieces have been carefully selected from twenty museums around the world and reworked using new technologies to create evocative environments that invite total immersion.

The exhibition is notable not only for the quality and beauty of the works on display, but also for the innovative staging that accompanies them. Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in a multi-sensory space where images are combined with an immersive sound design. The exhibition captures the essence of mysterious and dreamlike Japan, where natural landscapes and everyday scenes come to life in a way never seen before.

The tour begins with the depiction of nature through the prints of masters such as Hokusai, showing landscapes and the ephemeral beauty of cherry blossoms. These settings are transformed into a magical forest inhabited by "Yokai", spirits from Japanese folklore. The experience continues with Hokusai's iconic wave, accompanied by Claude Debussy's “La Mer”, and continues with the depiction of elegant geishas in their colorful kimonos. At dusk, the shadows projected by paper lanterns illuminate the figures of the Kabuki actors, creating a magical and theatrical atmosphere.

The exhibition also features the vibrant warrior dance of the samurai and the frenetic rhythm of Japanese drums, accompanied by compositions by contemporary musicians such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Hiroshi Yoshimura and Takashi Yoshimatsu. This sensory journey culminates with lanterns floating in the night sky, taking visitors into a world of fantasy and tradition.

“Spirit of Japan” is an experience that not only celebrates the beauty and technique of Ukiyo-e, but also highlights its profound influence on Western art, marking Impressionists and avant-garde artists such as Van Gogh, Gauguin and Bonnard. This exhibition offers a unique opportunity to explore Japan’s rich cultural heritage through a modern and technological lens, providing a fascinating window into the “floating world.”