Takashi Murakami’s Debut Film ‘Jellyfish Eyes’ Embarks on U.S. Tour

Globally acclaimed for his iconic, anime-inspired artworks, Takashi Murakami will be treating the U.S. to his latest venture, his debut feature film — Jellyfish Eyes.  Starting from this month to early June, the film will be touring in select art museums in eight U.S. cities.

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While Murakami may not be a household name here in the U.S., he’s been formerly named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World and has collaborated with various artists, most notably, Kanye West and Pharrell Williams.

In 2007, Murakami created not only the artwork for Kanye West’s Graduation album but also the animation for his “Good Morning” music video.  He also animated and directed Pharrell William’s forthcoming music video “Last Night, Good Night,” which is a remix of Jellyfish Eye‘s theme song.

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Originally released in Japan last spring, Jellyfish Eyes is a coming-of-age story about a young boy named Masashi who moves to a new town filled with mysterious monsters only children can see.  The film is a mix of live-action and CGI-animation and is a social commentary on Japan’s 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster.

“There was the tragedy of the disaster and the reality that Japan couldn’t really process or handle it, and the influence of that on the children,” answered Murakami when asked about the Fukushima nuclear meltdown.  When the Wall Street Journal interviewed the artist last year, Murakami stated that he hoped that his film would show children how the world can be dark and unfair.

“By telling children the harsh truth,” he explained, “some of them will use that energy and create something awesome when they grow up.”

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While some of the Jellyfish Eyes screenings have already taken place, there are still more screenings to enjoy.  Check out the remaining screenings’ venues, dates, and ticketing information below:

WASHINGTON, DC
HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN
May 22
*Takashi Murakami in person for post-screening Q&A
More information available at www.hirshhorn.si.edu

CHICAGO, IL
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
May 25
*Takashi Murakami in person for post-screening Q&A Tickets on sale now at www.mcachicago.org

BOSTON, MA
INSTITUTE OF CONTEMPORARY ART
May 25 and 26
Tickets on sale now at www.icaboston.org

LOS ANGELES, CA
THE THEATRE AT ACE HOTEL
May 30
*Takashi Murakami in person for post-screening Q&A
Tickets on sale now here

NEW YORK, NY
FILM SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER
June 1
*Takashi Murakami in person for post-screening Q&A
Tickets on sale May 15 at FilmLinc.com

SAN FRANCISCO, CA
ASIAN ART MUSEUM
June 5
More information available at www.asianart.org

For more details regarding show dates, check out the film’s official website, and be sure to watch the trailer below!


(Source: Animation World Network | WSJ | WSJ Interview)

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