6 Jul
Samurai and Mangas, Monaco's "Made in Japan" Summer Exhibition
This summer's leading exhibition, "Kyoto-Tokyo, from the Samurai to Mangas" opens on 14 July at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco
The exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco looks not only at traditional Japan, but also portrays a Land of the Rising Sun that is firmly anchored in modernity.
To illustrate this avant-garde aspect, the organisers have mixed several artistic disciplines: architecture, robotics, cinema, contemporary art … and mangas, whose heroes recall the guardian figure of the Samurai.
There's a real treat for fans of mangas and other animated films and video games, with a display of original plates, celluloids and story boards from emblematic titles like "Goldorak" and "One Piece".
Among the icons of manga art are many original plates that have entered the Japanese cartoon hall of fame:
Hiroshi Hirata will make a live appearance at the exhibition with around twenty of his original works: "The Thirty-Six Strategies of Kuroda" (2004); "Mightier than the Sword" (1993/1994/1995), "Satsuma, the Honour of His Samurai" (1977/1978/ 1984/ 1985) and "The Power of the Meek" (1991/1992/1993).
Other artists represented by their original works are Sugiura Hinako and Jirô Taniguchi, with his immortal "At the Time of Botchan" and Kazuo Kamimura, the creator of "Lady Snowblood".
The esteemed Tezuka Company will have its own pavilion to showcase its heroes: Shin Takarajima, Astro Boy, Phoenix and The Firebird.
Then there's Toei Production, who will exhibit its mythical "Goldorak" in all its forms, along with "Saint Seya," "Dragon Ball," "One Piece," "Clamp," "Digimon Adventure" and the unmissable "Naruto" (with a showing of the trailer for the game "Naruto Storm 2," which will be released in the autumn).
For his part, Yoshitaka Amano, creator of "Final Fantasy" and "Front Mission," will present original plates and video trailers. He will also be in Monaco to talk about the establishment of his own studio this year, Deva Loka, "the place where the gods meet." This studio will produce 3D films and real multimedia projects.
Finally, the video game section will pay tribute to SEGA and BANDAI-NAMCO productions for PS3, XBox and Wii … plus, as a bonus, lots of Japanese games that have never been distributed in Europe!