The JP Tower Museum INTERMEDIATHEQUE will host a special exhibition titled in Vitro? in Vivo! featuring the work of renowned photographer Yoshihiro Tatsuki in collaboration with The University of Tokyo. In this exhibition, Tatsuki captures academic specimens from the University of Tokyo’s museum collection, exploring the intersection of life, death, science, and art.
Breaking the Boundaries Between Art and Science Through Specimens
Yoshihiro Tatsuki, who made his debut in 1965 with The Angel Sticking Out His Tongue, has been at the forefront of photography for 60 years. His works span various genres, from portraits of famous actresses to documentaries of people in disaster-hit areas, consistently capturing the essence of each era.
In this new exhibition, Tatsuki turns his lens to the academic specimens housed in the University of Tokyo’s Museum. The exhibition’s title, in Vitro? in Vivo!, refers to the physiological contrast between “in vitro” (in a test tube) and “in vivo” (within a living organism). The specimens, which are typically frozen in time within a museum, are given new life through Tatsuki’s photography.
This exhibition goes beyond the mere documentation of scientific specimens; it invites viewers to consider how these objects can be reinterpreted as art. In Tatsuki’s images, cold, lifeless specimens seem to reveal hidden expressions, delving into philosophical themes such as life and death, nature and artifice, and classification versus disorder. His work sheds new light on the confluence of science and art, offering a fresh perspective on academic specimens as more than just research objects.
Exhibition Period: October 26, 2024 – January 19, 2025
Venue: INTERMEDIATHEQUE GREY CUBE, JP Tower Museum INTERMEDIATHEQUE
Address: KITTE 2nd & 3rd Floors, 2-7-2 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Access: 1-minute walk from JR Tokyo Station Marunouchi South Exit / Directly connected via underground passage from Tokyo Station on the Marunouchi Line / About a 2-minute walk from Nijubashimae Station (Exit 4) on the Chiyoda Line
Hosted by: The University of Tokyo, The University Museum
Sponsors: Takamiya Gakuen Yoyogi Seminar, Blast Corporation
Supported by: Canon Marketing Japan Inc., Achievement Co., Ltd., Yoshihiro Tatsuki Office
Planned by: The University of Tokyo, Intermediatheque Department of the University Museum, Kokoro ni Hibiku Kaisha LLC
Admission: Free of charge