Exhibition: Claes Oldenburg’s Playful Pop Art Comes to Tokyo

Exhibition: Claes Oldenburg’s Playful Pop Art Comes to Tokyo

Jul 17, 2025 at 11:00am ~ Aug 23, 2025 at 8:00pm

Playful, provocative and larger than life—Swedish-born American sculptor Claes Oldenburg‘s work returns to Tokyo with the first major retrospective exhibition in nearly three decades. Pace Gallery marks its 65th anniversary with This & That, a vibrant retrospective exhibition of Claes Oldenburg’s work, on view from July 17 to August 23 at its new Azabudai Hills location in Tokyo.

Claes Oldenburg is known for transforming everyday objects—pretzels, erasers, drum sets—into oversized and surreal sculptures. He helped define the Pop Art movement alongside icons like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. This is his first major show in Tokyo since 1996.

The exhibition is curated by Pace CEO Marc Glimcher and Oldenburg’s daughter Maartje. This & That brings together works spanning the 1960s to the mid-2000s, highlighting Oldenburg’s fascination with multiplicity, material transformation and humor. From a knotted yellow trumpet to a vending-machine display of pretzel sculptures, the exhibition invites visitors into a world where the banal becomes bold and the familiar turns fantastical.

With subtle nods to Japanese culture—reflected in the exhibition’s title いろいろ (Iroiro), meaning “variety”—this show is both playful and deeply thoughtful. A standout for art lovers and the curious alike. This & That is a rare chance to experience the colorful genius of Oldenburg up close.

No ticket required—just drop in between 11am–7pm (Tuesday–Saturday) and 11am–6pm (Sunday). Monday is closed. If you wish to visit later, you can make an appointment by emailing Pace Gallery Tokyo. Monday to Friday, 7–8pm, and Sunday, 6–8pm are by appointment only.