Upon darting into an exhibition room at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in Koto Ward, Tokyo, two boys were caught by surprise and took a step backward.
"Ugh! What on earth is this?" one of them said. They were standing in front of about 4,000 masks covering a huge wall measuring about 6 meters high.
The work is called "Tanonymous" by Japanese artist Tanotaiga and is one of the artworks on display in the exhibition "Now, it's time to play," which runs through Oct. 20.
There is a certain creepiness to these masks, like those used in noh. They are made from the artist's face but many have taken on a diversity of expressions. Visitors can take the masks from the wall and color them or decorate them with such materials as yarn and cloth. These masks are then put back on the wall and become part of the artwork.
Museums are generally thought to be places where visitors view exhibits attentively in quiet settings, but "Now, it's time to play" allows people more freedom to interact with the works. Anyone can be an "artist" and participate in creating artworks as they like, which is why the cheerful voices of children often echo in the exhibition rooms. Taking photos in the exhibition is also allowed.
Among the other artworks infused with a playful spirit are Kazuhiro Nomura's "Altar of Laughter," where visitors toss buttons at pedestals so the scattered buttons form colorful patterns on the floor; and Japanese verbal art group Tolta's "Cube the Positive Curse," which allows visitors to freely combine building-block cubes inscribed with words to create bizarre sentences.
"Though it's a museum, my children seemed to be relaxed and to have enjoyed their time," said Ayuha Okabe, a 33-year-old mother who visited from Chiba with her two children. "We had a fun half-day here."
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