【Soon】Special Exhibition “Formosa Orchids Blossom - Tokyo Edition”

2025.02.15-2025.06.08
GREY CUBE

The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (UMUT), which organizes exhibition planning at the JP Tower Museum INTERMEDIATHEQUE, engages in research activities based on the scientific specimens accumulated by the University of Tokyo. Scientific specimens are objects collected, produced, or utilized by researchers over the course of their studies or teaching. To the general public, these objects may appear to be nothing more than ordinary stones, bones, or even a familiar tea bowl. However, when viewed within the context of academic research, these objects tell stories that transform their appearance, bringing them to life in fascinating ways. At the Intermediatheque, we aim to convey the appeal of such specimens - essentially, the intrigue of scientific research itself - through aesthetic and innovative approaches.
The special exhibition “Formosa Orchids Blossom” held this time, unravels the academic narrative of Taiwanese orchids from both the Taiwanese and Japanese perspectives. UMUT has previously hosted two exhibitions on orchids: “Orchids Blossom,” which focused on the botanical illustrations of Japanese orchids from the University of Tokyo’s collection, and “Cattleya Rhapsody,” which explored botanical illustrations of Colombian orchids. This new exhibition serves as the Taiwanese version of those prior efforts.
Taiwan and Japan share a geographical closeness and a long history of exchange. At the University of Tokyo, there is a legacy of botanical research that has studied and documented orchids collected from Taiwan. The Tokyo edition of this special exhibition presents the perspectives of Japanese and Taiwanese researchers on orchids, from the past to the present, alongside the works of artists captivated by their beauty, all showcased according to the Intermediatheque’s design principles.
This special exhibition represents the result of the academic exchange agreement established in 2024 between UMUT and the National Museum of History, Taiwan (NMH). It will first open as the Tokyo edition at the Intermediatheque and later as the Taipei edition at NMH, with a unique display differing from that in Tokyo.

Organizers: The University Museum, The University of Tokyo (UMUT) + National Museum of History, Taiwan (NMH)
Cooperation: Botanical Gardens, Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo; University Library for Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo; Cultural Resources Studies, Graduate School of Humanities and Sociology, the University of Tokyo; Herbarium of the National Taiwan University; National Taiwan University Library; Herbarium of the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute; National Taiwan Museum; National Museum of Taiwan History; National Taiwan Museum of Fine Art; National Library of Public Information; Kaohsiung Museum of History; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

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Related Event:
Symposium “Botanical-Themed Art – A Perspective from Japan and Taiwan”
2025.2.15