Opening Greeting and Exhibition: “Frozen Gestures”

Co-curated by Professor Hans Bjarne Thomsen, University of Zurich
An epic genre depicting the great deeds of legendary heroes, kabuki theatre is characterized by its expressive and dynamic style of performance. This type of theatre is very popular in Japan despite its codification and complexity in terms of production, due to the number of necessary participants such as actors, musicians and assistants indispensable for the creation of elaborate stage designs. Its success resulted in a large – scale production of prints since the end of the 18th century, mainly in Edo (the present-day Tokyo) and Osaka.
The “stars” of the period were portrayed in their roles, dressed in sumptuous costumes. The 19th century however heralded a decline in pictorial quality. In 1854, Japan was forced to open its borders and the West became obsessed by Japanese prints.
Through the collection of prints and drawings, the exhibition provides insight into different aspects of the representation of traditional kabuki theatre. For the first time in the French speaking part of Switzerland such an exhibition explains the function of this high – quality popular imagery and its importance in Japanese society.