For a Placard

For a Placard

September 19 (Sat.), 2026–November 29 (Sun.), 2026

In some situations, people write things on pieces of paper and wood, and raise them in the air. Through this simple action, these placards send a message, raise questions, and even have the power to motivate people.
In 1961, the artist Tabe Mitsuko wrote a text called "For a Placard," in which she stated that a single placard has the potential to change society. She also expressed the idea, act, and hope of resisting the harsh realities of a society in her artworks.
This exhibition, titled after Tabe's text, comprises works by seven artists who consider what it means to live with dignity as it relates to their own lives.

Artists

Tabe Mitsuko, Ushijima Tomoko, Shiga Lieko, Kanagawa Shingo, Tanizawa Sawako, Iiyama Yuki, Sasaoka Yuriko

Tabe Mitsuko
Tabe Mitsuko, Placard, 1961, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Ushijima Tomoko
Installation view of Ushijima Tomoko's "Tori eno henshin (Replying to Bird, Becoming Bird)", Yame Old Country Office, 2022. Photo: Nagano Satoshi ©Nagano Satoshi
Shiga Lieko
Shiga Lieko, When the Wind Blows, 2022–2025, The National Museum of Art, Osaka ©lieko shiga
Kanagawa Shingo
Kanagawa Shingo, Prayer / Nagasaki, Self-portrait, 2022, The National Museum of Art, Osaka ©Shingo Kanagawa
Tanizawa Sawako
Installation view of Tanizawa Sawako's "small voice," FINCH ARTS, 2023. ©Sawako Tanizawa, Photo by Haruka Oka, Courtesy of FINCH ARTS
Iiyama Yuki
Iiyama Yuki, Moomin Family goes on a picnic to see Kannon, 2014/2020. Photo: Miyazawa Hibiki, Iiyama Yuki, The National Museum of Art, Osaka ©Iiyama Yuki
Sasaoka Yuriko
Installation view of Sasaoka Yuriko's "Animale," PHD Group, Hong Kong, 2025. Courtesy the artist and PHD Group. Photo by Felix SC Wong.

Exhibition Information

Dates:

September 19 (Sat.), 2026–November 29 (Sun.), 2026

Closed:

Tuesdays (except September 22 and November 3), September 24, and November 4

Opening Hours:

10:00 AM – 8:00 PM (admission until 7:30 PM)

Venue:

Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto

Admission:

Adult:
¥1,300 (¥1,100)
Seniors (65 and over):
¥1,000 (¥800)
Students (the high school students and over):
¥800 (¥600)
Junior high school students and under:
Free

*The admission given in parentheses are for advance tickets / group (20 or more) / with one-day ticket for tram or bus, etc.
*Persons presenting various disability certificates (Physical Disability Certificate, Medical Rehabilitation Handbook, Mental Disability Certificate, Atomic Bomb Survivor's Certificate, etc.) and one accompanying person are free of charge.
*Persons presenting a Welcome Passport are free of charge.
*Advance tickets will be on sales until September 18 (Fri.)

Organizer:

Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto (Kumamoto City and Kumamoto Art and Culture Promotion Foundation), The National Museum of Art, Osaka, The Kumamoto Daily News

Support:

Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto Prefectural Board of Education, Kumamoto City Board of Education, Kumamoto Ken Bunka Kyokai (Cultural Association of Kumamoto), Kumamoto Ken Bijutsuka Renmei (Artist's Union of Kumamoto), Kumamoto International Convention and Tourism Bureau, JCOM Marketing, FMK, FM791

Curator:

Shoji Sachiko (Curator, The National Museum of Art, Osaka)