On June 29, a fresh exhibit will debut inside the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Curated by Midori Nishizawa, "Primal Water" will feature 14 artists working in various media who represent four generations of contemporary Japanese art.
The common thread between them is the subject of water, examined as a life-giving force via painting, photograph, sculpture, installation and film. It's a fitting theme to display in Las Vegas, where the scarcity of water is a perpetual fact of inhabiting the desert.
"Life revolves around water, and regions with an abundance of water fostered the growth of civilization around the globe," said Nishizawa. "Las Vegas, having prospered as an oasis in the desert, has a meaningful connection with this theme. These artworks allow us to contemplate water as the source of life and the dangers of its depletion."
Among the 28 works on display, visitors will see Shoji Ueda's family portraits snapped at the Tottori Sand Dunes, a film on the science of snowflakes and an installation of local mesquite branches affixed to the ceiling above guests. "Primal Water" is the first Bellagio exhibit to break free from its gallery confines and even its resort home.
Motonaga Sadamasa's "Work (Water) 1956/2018" — an installation of clear polyethylene tubes filled with puddles of colorful liquid — will find a new home in the lobby of the Aria Hotel & Casino. The piece has appeared in Japan's Ashiya Park in 1956 and in the rotunda of the Guggenheim in New York in 2013.
The work isn't the only departure from tradition for the Strip art gallery. Launching with the June 29 exhibit is the Bellagio's first artist residency. Japanese painter Kisho Mwkaiyama will set up shop in a public studio at the resort and begin work on a piece commissioned by MGM Resorts titled "Vendarta 100: Six Elements and the Seasons." Once completed, the piece will be part of the company's robust art collection, which includes works from more than 200 artists.
Mwkaiyama uses wax and paint, layering materials to play with light and make his paintings appear as if viewed through a veil of steam or a sheet of gauze. For his Bellagio residency, the artist will produce 24 square paintings over the course of six months in the studio. Visitors can observe his practice from a visitor's lounge, and Mwkaiyama will give an artist's talk at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas's Marjorie Barrick Museum.
When complete, "Vendarta 100" will be on permanent display at Mandalay Bay.
For more information, visit bellagio.com/bgfa.