L'écologie des choses: a new exhibition at the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris

Environmental art invites itself to the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris. On view from April 30 to July 26, 2025, the exhibition "L'écologie des choses" (The Ecology of Things) showcases the work of a number of Japanese artists, from different generations, addressing ecological issues from 1970 to the present day.

After exhibitions devoted to Ken Domon, the art of carpenters and Tokyo' s transformations following the 1923 Kantō earthquake, the Maison de la culture du Japon in Paris is turning its attention to environmental art. In spring and summer 2025, the Japanese cultural center will open its doors to the exhibition " L'écologie des choses. A look at Japanese artists and their environments from 1970 to the present day " .

To be discovered from April 30 to July 26, 2025, this installation has been designed in collaboration with the Musée d'art moderne et contemporain de Saint-Étienne Métropole and the Frac Sud - Cité de l'art contemporain. The idea? To offer a new reading of the links between artistic practices that emerged in Japan in the late 1960s and those of contemporary artists concerned with current environmental issues.

A chance to step back in time and (re)discover several pioneering works from the Mono-ha (L'école des choses) and Fluxus movements.

Particularly active between 1968 and 1976, the Japanese Mono-ha artistic movement explored the encounter between natural and industrial materials, such as stone, glass, cotton, sponge and wood. Among the artists associated with this artistic movement are Noboru Takayama and Kishio Suga, renowned for their works using raw materials. For their part, artists Hideki Umezawa, Koichi Sato and Hiroshi Yoshimura preferred the medium of sound to express themselves and compose landscapes that were both musical and visual.

The second Fluxus movement found its impetus in the USA in the 1960s, before spreading to Europe and Japan. It combined the visual arts, music and literature. The Japanese artist Yoko Ono, Mieko Shiomi and Takako Saito were also instrumental in the emergence of this artistic movement. Each of these artists was already taking an attentive look at the social and ecological dimensions of our living environments.

Through this exhibition, " The Ecology of Things ", the Maison de la culture du Japon also intends to highlight the singularity of these artists, who have chosen to adopt a certain ecology towards things in the face of changes in society.

To discover this new exhibition at the Maison de la culture du Japon, visit us from April 30 to July 26, 2025!