The modern city envelops modern man so completely that he inhabits it even in his dreams -- even in his best dreams. That's the message weaving through the current exhibition at the Watari-Um Museum of Art in Tokyo's Aoyama district. "Beautiful Cities in Dreams" is the eighth incarnation in Watari's "I Love Art" series, a group show occurring every couple of years.
Generally, a permanent-collection show such as this is put out during a slow stretch in a museum's calendar -- curators dust off a few favorites and throw together a cheap and easy exhibition. And, usually, they are rather predictable and very missable. But in its 16 years of existence, the Watari-Um has grown into arguably the best contemporary art museum in Tokyo, infused with a heartfelt love of art. These folks do just about everything well, including a permanent collection show.
To be sure, the theme of "Beautiful Cities in Dreams" is something of a stretch -- many of the 100 works from 13 participating photographers have at best a tenuous connection to the themes of metropolis, dreams, or even "beauty." One can however, trace an influence from, and/or the presence of, the city in most of the pieces.