Museum van het boek Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum From 11 June to 20 August 2000 the Museum van het Boek//Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum will be presenting the exhibition called: Looking at the same moon. Contemporary Japanese and western calligraphy. The exhibition is taking place in connection with celebrations to mark 400 years of relations between Japan and the Netherlands. The exhibition has two sections, one showing modern Japanese calligraphy and the other calligraphy by modern western calligraphers. This arrangement makes it possible to compare calligraphy from different cultures and get to know the different backgrounds. With this exhibition the museum hopes to arouse interest in the many facets of international calligraphy and provide a picture of current developments in calligraphy and letterart. Calligraphy from Japan The Japanese section of the exhibition contains the work of some forty students at a major school of calligraphy in Tokyo. This school teaches both traditional and modern forms of calligraphy, under the leadership of the Japanese master of calligraphy Shofu Kawabe. The art of writing is an important part of Japanese social and cultural life. The work of the participants in this exhibition is the result of years of practice. The calligraphy, most of which was done on impressive rolls, displays great control of writing technique, as well as the individual style of the various calligraphers. A striking work by Master Kawabe himself forms the highlight of the exhibition. Western calligraphy For this part of the exhibition, the museum invited over forty leading calligraphers from all parts of the western world to submit recent work. As a result, the exhibition provides an overview of letterart today, demonstrating the versatility and artistic quality of western calligraphy. This is the first time that a special exhibition of contemporary international calligraphy on this level has been organized in the Netherlands. Some major calligraphers who are represented in the exhibition by one or more works include: Elmo van Slingerland (NL), Brody Neuenschwander (BE), Susan Skarsgard (US), Thomas Ingmire (US), Jean Larcher (FR), Gottfried Pott (DE), Werner Schneider (DE), Mary White (GB), Richard Kindersley (GB) and Franca Hanane (AU). The work was executed using various different materials and techniques. Naturally the exhibition contains a great deal of calligraphy on paper, but visitors can also admire lettering in glass, ceramics and metal. A number of monumental works with letters in stone are exhibited in the museum garden. Speciale activities All kinds of activities for both adults and children will be organized during the exhibition. A day of calligraphy will be held on Saturday 22 July, with various demonstrations. Museum van het boek / Museum Meermanno-Westreenianum Prinsessegracht 30, 2514 AP The Hague, tel 070 346 27 00 Opening times: Tue-Fri 11.00-17.00 hours, Sat and Sun 12.00-17.00 hours.