An exhibition commemorating the 90th anniversary of Shuji Terayama's birth, "Shuji Terayama and Japanese Avant-Garde Posters," will be held from October 9th at "Bunkamura Gallery 8/" on the 8th floor of Shibuya Hikarie.

Terayama, who was active in a wide range of fields including poetry, playwright, and film director, called himself "Profession: Terayama Shuji." In 1967, he formed the theater experimental group "Tenjo Sajiki" and led the underground theater scene of the 1960s and 70s with works that were not bound by the framework of conventional theater. Even after his death in 1983 at the age of 47, his works continue to be performed and screened.

The exhibition will display materials such as Terayama's handwritten manuscripts and performance scripts, as well as showcasing and selling performance posters and flyers that symbolize the underground culture of the time, including those of Tenjo Sajiki, the "Jokyo Gekijo" led by Kara Juro, and "Ankoku Butoh" represented by Hijikata Tatsumi.

Theater posters of that era not only advertised performances but also served to express the worldview of the theater company and its works. The exhibition will showcase works by various artists, including Tadanori Yokoo, a founding member of Tenjo Sajiki, as well as Akira Uno, Genpei Akasegawa, Kiyoshi Awazu, Masamichi Oikawa, Katsuhiro Otomo, Kuniyoshi Kaneko, Sawako Goda, Ikko Tanaka, Kazuichi Hanawa, Seiichi Hayashi, Koga Hirano, Katsuyuki Shinohara, and Makoto Wada.

On October 15th at 6 PM, Hiroyuki Sasame, who is involved in the project of collecting, preserving, and exhibiting contemporary theater posters and also serves as the deputy director of the Misawa City Terayama Shuji Memorial Museum, will lead a gallery tour titled "Unraveling the Charm of Terayama Shuji and Underground Theater Posters." While touring the exhibited works, he will provide commentary on Terayama and underground theater posters, and will also share stories related to the Terayama Shuji musical "Shishi THE LION-BEAT," which is being performed by THEATER MILANO-Za, for which Sasame serves as dramaturg. The tour is limited to the first 30 people and requires advance reservations.

Opening hours are 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM (regular admission is until 6:00 PM on October 15th due to a gallery tour). Admission is free. The exhibition runs until October 18th.

Venue