Miho Museum, Meeting Remarkable Men, Mr. I. M. Pei
Sometimes in life, you get lucky, and you get to visit great places. You feel at peace with all things in the universe. Then, you get to meet unusual people, like in the classic film by Peter Brook from 1979.
Meetings With Remarkable Men (Part 1 of 11)
Meetings With Remarkable Men (Part 2 of 11)
Then you get to just by chance meet someone who has designed the very building you are in, a museum in Shiga prefecture, the Miho Museum. I go there from time to time, I like the place a lot, it has a special concept of "beauty" and the viewpoint is "from East Asia" which makes it distinct from a lot of other ordinary museums. Art history, viewed from Japan, and also with a very feminine touch. We tend to ignore that perspective, but a woman with an artistic sense, like at Miho, can change everything around. The female touch has been a very important part of art in Asia, since ancient times. The English website does not quite explore this connection to Grandmother, who initiated all of Miho Museum...
Miho is a very unusual museum, where each object, be it a tea cup or a mask or a statue, is displayed in its own right. And the backdrop against the mountains is an added plus. It could be a model for all other museums.
Thus, meeting Mr. I.M. Pei himself inside this very special structure, that he had designed some 15 years ago, was amazing. Photo by Anki Myrberg, she insisted on the shot, we were having coffee and I was wondering why the tables were all set.! Usually reservations are not possible. Mr. Pei and his wife rolled in, with due entourage, and it was all very friendly and laughs all around.
You get to meet someone special, and Mr. Pei asks me, "Why do you know about this place?" and starts talking about Asplund and Aalto, architects that he was inspired by. I also read on the internet that Mr. Pei as a young man was part of the US war effort, helping design bombs to destroy Japanese towns and cities. I did not ask him about that. I do wonder, should I have asked?
Do watch the video from Miho Museum, it is a very special place for all of us who likes art in Asia.
Meetings With Remarkable Men (Part 1 of 11)
Meetings With Remarkable Men (Part 2 of 11)
Then you get to just by chance meet someone who has designed the very building you are in, a museum in Shiga prefecture, the Miho Museum. I go there from time to time, I like the place a lot, it has a special concept of "beauty" and the viewpoint is "from East Asia" which makes it distinct from a lot of other ordinary museums. Art history, viewed from Japan, and also with a very feminine touch. We tend to ignore that perspective, but a woman with an artistic sense, like at Miho, can change everything around. The female touch has been a very important part of art in Asia, since ancient times. The English website does not quite explore this connection to Grandmother, who initiated all of Miho Museum...
Miho is a very unusual museum, where each object, be it a tea cup or a mask or a statue, is displayed in its own right. And the backdrop against the mountains is an added plus. It could be a model for all other museums.
Thus, meeting Mr. I.M. Pei himself inside this very special structure, that he had designed some 15 years ago, was amazing. Photo by Anki Myrberg, she insisted on the shot, we were having coffee and I was wondering why the tables were all set.! Usually reservations are not possible. Mr. Pei and his wife rolled in, with due entourage, and it was all very friendly and laughs all around.
You get to meet someone special, and Mr. Pei asks me, "Why do you know about this place?" and starts talking about Asplund and Aalto, architects that he was inspired by. I also read on the internet that Mr. Pei as a young man was part of the US war effort, helping design bombs to destroy Japanese towns and cities. I did not ask him about that. I do wonder, should I have asked?
Do watch the video from Miho Museum, it is a very special place for all of us who likes art in Asia.
Comments