Be Alive

Since opening in December 1979, the Hara Museum has provided the viewing public with opportunities to experience and dialog with the work of artists at the forefront of the contemporary art world and young up-and-coming artists representing the wave of the future.

The current Hara Museum Collection show "Be Alive!" presents a selection of works by artists whose dynamic expression has made them the vanguard of contemporary expression during the first decade of the 21st century. What connects these works here is the sense of immediacy, of life and of spirit evoked by the show’s keywords ―Be Alive.‖

The distinguishing feature of the Hara Museum Collection (as noted by Director Toshio Hara) may be its consistent emphasis on the sensitivity and character of the individual. The overriding priority in its exhibition planning and acquisition policy has been the immediate emotional impact at ―that moment‖ when one comes face-to-face with each and every artwork. This priority reflects the freedom that comes with its status as a private museum, unfettered by such issues as the nationality, race and gender of the artist, or by artistic trends based on preexisting values. The basic policy of the Hara Museum has been to ―create new values with the artist and viewers‖ as members of the same era and from the perspective of that era. As the ―face‖ of the museum, the collection communicates this stance very clearly and is the mirror that reflects the museum’s past history of more than 30 years.