Metallguss - Dokumentarfilme zum japanischen Kunsthandwerk

In the organizer's words:

Metal Casting - The Art of Saito Akira -
鋳金-齋藤明のわざ- Chûkin - Saitô Akira no waza -

Director: YAMAZOE Tetsu
1994, 30 minutes, English, DVD

The history of metal casting in Japan can be traced back to the Yayoi period (around 300 BC to 300 AD). The film presents the craft of Saitô Akira, who was declared a "Living National Treasure" in 1993.

Metal Casting - The Art of Ôzawa Koumin
鋳金-大澤光民のわざ- Chûkin - Ôzawa Kômin no waza -

Director: KOIZUMI Shûkichi
2010, 35 minutes, English & Japanese, DVD

The film vividly documents the various labor-intensive creative processes of the metal vase "From the Earth, From the Heavens", created by Ôzawa Kômin, who was named a "Living National Treasure" in 2005.

Functionality and beauty

Documentaries on Japanese arts and crafts

Japanese arts and crafts are unique and internationally recognized for their functionality, perfection and beauty. Its production methods are characterized by high precision and craftsmanship, which have often been developed over centuries and passed on to subsequent generations.

Accompanying the exhibition "Japanese Happiness", 20 documentaries will be shown that were created between 1971 and 2019 and provide an insight into various areas of Japanese arts and crafts. On the one hand, they are dedicated to various materials such as paper, bamboo, wood, lacquer, metal and textiles, while on the other they present decorative techniques such as maki-e, yûzen and local characteristics.

What is particularly impressive is that the individual areas are presented using the example of outstanding personalities who have rendered outstanding services to the arts and crafts. These masters, including two women, were honored by the Japanese state with the designation "Living National Treasure" (Ningen kokuhô) for their outstanding ability to continue and preserve a traditional craft. This vividly illustrates the technical and creative skills required and the great effort needed to achieve a satisfactory result.

Price information:

Admission free