Due to the pandemic, we will hold the Hiroshima Memorial Event online, with the exception of the Floating Lantern Ceremony. Please see below for the details on each event. We will open as usual on Friday, August 6. We ask for your cooperation in taking preventative measures against COVID-19 when you visit the gallery.

[Online: Special Program]
Out of Hiroshima, Into the Future – Life and Art in the Nuclear Age

Friday, August 6, 2:00-3:30 PM (approx. 90 mins)
Navigator: Sumiko Hatakeyama (Peace Boat / University of Pennsylvania)
Casts: John Junkerman (Film director), Yukinori Okamura (Curator, Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels)
Available both in English and Japanese on Maruki Gallery’s YouTube Channel.

SUMMARY

This program traces the Marukis’ journey from their experience in Hiroshima. They started to paint “The Hiroshima Panels” after the bombing, and continued their journey through the exhibition tours in Japan and around the world.

The program will focus on the works of the Marukis and through their works. We will examine the message they wanted to convey, the post-Hiroshima world surrounding nuclear weapons, and our future. The program will be presented in fully bilingual (English and Japanese).

CHAPTERS

1. Introduction
2. Background
A brief overview of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Hiroshima Panels, the Marukis, and the Maruki Gallery to help people with no prior knowledge to understand the dialogue.

3. August 6: What Happened on that Day (Yukinori Okamura and Sumiko Hatakeyama)
We will take a look at the first half of the Hiroshima Panels, and think about what happened immediately after the bombing (“Ghosts”), the loss of young lives (“Boys and Girls”), and the exposure to the radiation in the city (“Relief”).

4. The Marukis’ Journey from Hiroshima (John Junkerman and Sumiko Hatakeyama)
We will take a look at the second half of the Hiroshima Panels. We will first learn how Mr. Junkerman came to know the Marukis, and discuss the Maruki’s journey after the WWII, including the first U.S. exhibition. We will cover works such as “Yaizu” (nuclear testing), “The Death of American Prisoners of War” and “Crows” (perpetration).

5. Passing On the Marukis’ Message in a Changing World (Panel Discussion)
We explore the reception of Hiroshima Panels in different times and places, especially how the response to the exhibition in the U.S. has changed. We will also consider the significance of the Maruki’s depiction of structural violence other than the atomic bomb, as well as the role of the Hiroshima Panels in the world today.

[Video Archive] Maruki Gallery Online Tour – What are the Hiroshima Panels?

English subtitles will be added on Sunday, August 1st (00:00 a.m. JST〜)
Navigator: Yukinori Okamura (Curator, Maruki Gallery for the Hiroshima Panels)
English subtitles available on Maruki Gallery’s YouTube Channel.

May 5th, 2021 marked the 54th anniversary of the opening of the Maruki Gallery. Due to the pandemic, we did not host an anniversary event at the gallery this year. Instead, we held a tour of the gallery as a live streaming event. Starting from August 1st, English subtitles will be available. We hope this tour will offer similar experiences to visiting the Gallery to anyone around the world.

Floating Lantern Making & Ceremony

Date and Time: Friday, August 6, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (JST)
Location: Maruki Gallery

From 2:00 p.m., there will be a lantern making workshop at the Hakkai Hall in front of the gallery. At 4:00 p.m., we will hold a gathering for Hiroshima Memorial Day (a moment of silence, etc.) in front of the Kannon Temple. Then we will go down to the Toki River and have a lantern floating ceremony. The event is scheduled to end at around 5:00 pm. If you would like to participate in this event, please call or send us a message through the contact form by Tuesday, August 3.

Added on July 31: Due to concerns over the outbreak of COVID-19 and in consideration of the health and safety of visitors and staff members, we have decided to cancel the ceremony.

[Online] Message for Peace, Floating Lanterns

On Friday, August 6, a screen will be set up on the first floor, and an image of a river with floating lanterns will be projected on it. Visitors will be able to leave a message of peace by floating a lantern in this virtual space from their mobile devices and see them on the screen.

Please check Message for Peace – Floating Lanterns Website for more information. This is a collaborative project with TSUGUTEN – Hiroshima – 3rd Generation Exhibition: Succeeding to History.