Manga in the Museum

Written by Robert Frazer on 02 Nov 2015

The British Musuem has long been a confluence of the world's heritage, but while you might have the preconceived notion that it's all about faded pots and broken statues, the Museum is dedicated to the collection and curation of contemporary culture as well. Even though manga might seem to us in the West to be a ruthlessly and relentlessly modern movement powered by the shock of the New - at the very least, put your typical ecchi bathing-house scene next to Botticelli's The Birth of Venus and there are still some salient differences - the manga we read today are a direct evolution of a tradition of narrative illustration in Japan that stretches back centuries. The term "manga" itself was coined in Japanese as early as the 18th century. The reflection of society in manga is thus something that the British Museum recognises - the Musuem even has its own manga, Professor Munakata's British Museum Adventure -  and UK Anime Network readers have something tied to their interests to pull them into the institution with the temporary exhibition Manga Now: Three Generations.

The British Museum is a sprawling place but Manga Now: Three Generations is very easy to find - it's located in Room 3 of the museum, which you reach just by turning right as you pass through the main entrance. If you're planning to immerse yourself in manga for a whole day though you do need to bear in mind that the exhibition is only a small one - it's less an entire gallery and more a large display case. The little space that there is though is used well - the placement of the information stands creates a little circuit to stop you looking at the walls and disguises the confines of the space, and the clean white and bright room with plain black steel frames around the exhibits makes a resonant reflection of the serene, measured understatement that defines Japanese art.