Chichu Art Museum 4.12

The is a museum built directly into a southern portion of the island of Naoshima in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. It was designed by architect Tadao Ando and opened its doors to the public on July 18, 2004.BackgroundThe subterranean museum is under the administration of the Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum Foundation, a project of the Benesse Corporation whose president Soichiro Fukutake also acts as director of the facility. It exists as part of an ongoing initiative to "rethink the relationship between nature and people," and is one of several arts-related sites generating tourist interest in the area.Despite its position buried underground, the design of the building is such that it facilitates the exclusive use of natural light to illuminate a number of the exhibits, changing their appearance at different viewing times throughout the day and, in essence, encompassing the building itself within the same realm as the art on display.Exhibited worksThe site features permanent installations by Walter De Maria and James Turrell, as well as painted works in the Water Lilies series by Claude Monet.Walter De Maria"Time/Timeless/No Time," 2004 - granite, mahogany, gold leaf, concreteClaude Monet"Water Lilies," 1914-17 - oil on Canvas, 200×200 cm"Water Lilies, Reflections of Weeping Willows," 1916-19 - oil on canvas, 100×200 cm"Water-Lily Pond," 1917-19 - oil on canvas, 100×200 cm"Water-Lily Pond," c.1915-1926 - oil on canvas, diptych, each part: 200×300 cm