What Happens on Quiet Days? A Peek Behind the Scenes at Exhibition Preparations

The exhibition space at the National Art Center, Tokyo is one of the largest in Japan. Here, things keep happening quietly and steadily even on days when it is closed to the public.

There are approximately 14,000 square meters of exhibition space across 12 galleries. During the intervals between exhibitions, the galleries are changed around in preparation for what comes next. The placement of walls, the angle of lighting, the distances between works—every element of the space is adjusted to shape the new experience that awaits visitors.

At the heart of this process are the artists. The curators and staff of NACT work with the artists to interpret their vision, not only selecting works, but also bringing together research, historical context, and decisions about how the exhibition will unfold in which spaces, in what order, and how each part will be presented. The gallery as a whole is treated like a book that visitors will read, one that will guide them through a flow of ideas. It’s on the museum’s quiet days that people focus intensely on this process.

One defining aspect of contemporary art exhibitions at the National Art Center, Tokyo is that they are produced in close collaboration with currently active artists. In the Special Exhibition Galleries, artists are present on site, engaging in ongoing discussion about where things should go, how they should look, and how each work relates to the surrounding space. A shift of just a few centimeters in height, the brightness of the light, the movement of the viewer’s gaze: each of these can change how a work is perceived, so the stakes always feel high during the extensive conversations on site.

It’s on these quiet days that as-yet-unseen exhibitions begin to take shape. Behind every completed installation lie countless dialogues held in hushed galleries. Preparations for the next exhibition are always in progress so we can continue to offer visitors surprising, delightful experiences and unexpected encounters with art.