The Big 2012 Preview

Art & Performance

Cinderella
Feb 2-10 | Orchard Hall
As the director of the acclaimed K-Ballet Company, Tetsuya Kumakawa is practically a household name in Japan. He's also the new artistic director of Shibuya's freshly renovated Orchard Hall theatre – an appointment which he'll be celebrating with the world premiere of this new version of Cinderella. Read more

Ay-O: The Rainbow Artist
Feb 4-May 6 | Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo
He knows how to make an impression, does Ay-O. The former Fluxus member went on to earn a new nickname in the 1970s, ‘the rainbow artist’, when he started to paint works that depicted the spectrum of the rainbow in as many as 192 gradations. Expect something eye-popping at this retrospective, which also promises to include an interactive installation and a new 30-metre painting. Read more

Lee Bul: From Me, Belongs To You Only
Feb 4-May 27 | Mori Art Museum
Some may quibble about the tagline’s claim that Lee Bul is ‘Asia’s leading female artist,’ but she certainly enjoys few equals. This large-scale retrospective takes in the past two decades of the Korean sculptor’s career and features some of her best-known works, including her cyborg hybrids and dystopian cityscapes, as well as her futuristic karaoke pods (capacity: one person). Read more

Jackson Pollock: A Centennial Retrospective
Feb 10-May 6 | National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
Over five decades after he met his demise in an alcohol-fueled car crash, Jackson Pollock continues to polarise critical opinion. This centennial exhibition is the artist's first major retrospective in Japan, and collects 70 works from throughout his career, including major pieces on loan from MOMA and the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. Read more

Yebisu International Festival for Art & Alternative Visions
Feb 10-26 | Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography
The fourth edition of Ebisu's annual video art fest is beefing things up considerably, with an extended running time and outdoor installations to complement the usual array of screenings, exhibitions, live performances and lectures. Added bonus: it's all free. Read more

The Bee
Feb 24-Mar 10 | Suitengu Pit
Playwright Hideki Noda earned countless plaudits when he co-wrote, directed and starred in an English-language production of The Bee in London a few years back. Now he's bringing both English and Japanese versions to Tokyo, and playing different roles in each. The gender-bending English one arrives first, and sees Kathryn Hunter, Glyn Pritchard and Noda reprise their roles from the original production, joined by Marcello Magni. Read more

Japanese Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Mar 10-Jun 10 | Tokyo National Museum
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston boasts one of the world's finest collections of Japanese art, and this exhibition of key pieces from its holdings looks set to be one of Tokyo's biggest blockbusters during 2012, with everything from 8th century Buddhist artwork to Edo-era kimonos on display. It also provides a chance to see some of the best work by Soga Shohaku, the iconoclastic painter who scandalised 18th century Japan. Read more

Roppongi Art Night 2012
Mar 24-25 | Locations around Roppongi
This annual all-night celebration of artsiness was cancelled last year in the wake of March 11, but many of the participating artists are due to return for the 2012 edition, including headliner Yayoi Kusama. The main action starts at sundown on March 24 and continues until dawn the following day, with Roppongi's major museums and galleries staying open through the night, and assorted performances and art happenings lending some added spice to the proceedings. Read more