Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art

The Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art (MIMOCA) was opened November 23, 1991 as a project commemorating the 90th anniversary of the city of Marugame, Kagawa Prefecture and with the full cooperation of the artist Genichiro Inokuma, who spent his youth in and around Marugame. The beautiful station-front museum designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi has a permanent collection introducing some 20,000 works personally donated by Inokuma and holds special exhibitions focusing primarily on contemporary art. A diverse program of lectures, concerts, and other events, including workshops to foster sensitivity and creativity among children, are part of the Museum’s dedication to education.
These features of the Museum are the result of discussions held by Inokuma with the city of Marugame. It was Inokuma’s fervent wish that MIMOCA be a facility for contemporary art that would actively introduce new art. The sunlight-filled and spacious spaces of the building fulfill the aspiration architect Taniguchi shared with Inokuma for beautiful spaces in an art museum. Inokuma also wanted to encourage opportunities to expose children to art, advocating free admittance to the Museum for children and proposing the establishment of the “Creative Studio” space for children.
Inokuma wanted the Museum to be a place people would visit frequently. The experience of beautiful spaces and the sight of quality works of art are the source, he believed, of the fresh and exhilarating stimuli that is healthy and energizing. He even thought of MIMOCA as a kind of “health resort for the spirit.” We hope everyone will think of MIMOCA, which embodies the ideals Inokuma held dear, as that kind of “resort” for mind and spirit.

On the founding of the Museum

I am delighted that the Museum has been built in Marugame, the place that is associated with many vivid memories of my youth. Specializing in contemporary art, the Museum is unique in Japan and has been realized with the support of all the citizens of Marugame. I hope the Museum will help the city as a whole to become a rich cultural environment.

Genichiro Inokuma 1991

Introduction to the Museum

At the entrance of the museum, visitors will find Genichiro Inokuma’s huge mural and a space with some of the artist’s objects. The building’s facade acts as a natural extenuation of the adjacent station-front square. The facility was designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, who is world-famous for his beautiful museums. Through a series of discussions with Inokuma, Taniguchi arrived at a design that embodied their individual philosophies.

In the interior of the building, the first floor houses the museum shop, while the second contains two exhibition rooms of contrasting sizes, and the third, a spacious exhibition room with an approximately seven-meter-high ceiling. The museum was designed not only for the appreciation of creative works but to facilitate a variety of approaches to art. The second-floor Art Center, for example, is equipped with an art library, a hall for lectures and concerts, and a studio for workshops, while in the rear of the third floor visits can relax at Cascade Plaza and Café MIMOCA.

Architectural Overview
Lot area: 5,974.53 square meters
Building: Steel-reinforced concrete structure (three floors above ground, one floor below ground)
Building area: 3,564.80 square meters
Total floor area: 11,948.14 square meters
Design: Taniguchi and Associates (President: Taniguchi Yoshio)
Construction: Kajima Corporation

Museum History
Construction commenced: November 21, 1989
Construction completed: June 20, 1991
Museum opened: November 23, 1991

Architectural Awards
1992 26th Japan Sign Design Association (SDA) Award
1993: 34th Building Contractors Society Award
1994: Murano Togo Award
1996: 5th Public Buildings Association Award (Special Award)