Noctis: Glass Art of Shadow and Light

In the modern world, our nights are filled with dazzling artificial light. Before the rise of science and technology and the expansion of cities, however, people passed their nights with only faint light. The glow of the moon and stars or the small flame of a lamp offered comfort in the face of darkness, while lights that floated, twinkled, and flickered in the night stirred vivid imaginings of the mysterious world hidden in the darkness.

Since the 19th century, many glass works have been imbued with profound symbolism and a sense of fantasy through the interplay of light and shadow. Among these, works that employ mysterious light to evoke night and darkness have stirred viewers’ emotions, variously evoking awe of the unknown and yearning for a dreamlike world. The richly atmospheric realm of night and darkness has continually stirred our inner selves, awakening sensibilities that lie dormant deep within us.

This exhibition is titled Noctis, Latin for “of the night” and “of darkness.” Its aim is to explore the shadows that only the luminosity of glass can produce, and the alluring world of night into which these shadows beckon us.　

Standing in the glow of evening, strolling through the dusk guided by the stars, wandering beneath the moonlight…Encounters with works that express the mystery of light and shadow, and the wonder and beauty of night and darkness seen through fantastical shadows, invite us to see the familiar world with fresh eyes.

Welcome to the boundless, enchanting world of shadow and light that glass reveals.

Venue:

Toyama Glass Art Museum Exhibition Rooms 1－3, Floors 2－3

Dates:

Saturday, March 7, 2026 - Sunday, June 21, 2026

Hours:

[Until March 31, 2026] 9:30 - 18:00

(Friday and saturday until 20:00, Admission ends 30 min. before closing time.)

[From April 1st, 2026] 9:30 - 18:00 (Admission ends at 17:30.)

Closed:

First and Third Wednesdays, May 13, 2026

(Opened on May 6, 2026)

Organizer:

Toyama Glass Art Museum

Artists

Emile GALLE, DAUM, Friedrich EGERMANN, Johann LOETZ Witwe Glassworks, Louis C. TIFFANY, Gabriel ARGY-ROUSSEAU, Francois DECORCHEMONT, Amalric WALTER, Jean-Baptiste Camille COROT, Charles-Francois DAUBIGNY, Rene MAGRITTE, Jay MUSLER, Gizela ?ABOKOVA, Josef MAREK, ICHIKAWA Atsushi, IKEMOTO Kazumi, KOZUMI Masao, Ronald PENNELL, Jaromir RYBAK, Jan EXNAR, ODAHASHI Masayo, KIGOSHI Ai, KINOSHITA Yui, KOSOGAWA Runa, IWATA Toshichi, Robert COUTURIER, SHIOYA Naomi, WATANABE Chiemi, Ivan MARE?, FUJITA Kyohei, Erwin EISCH, KAWANABE Masaki, KOJIMA Yukako, SHIBUYA Ryoji, TAKAHASHI Makiko, TAKEUCHI Kou, Richard MEITNER, FUJITA Jun, YAMASHINA Shoko, ISHII Koji

Admission

General Public 1200 yen (1000 yen), College and University students 1000 yen (800 yen)

*Price in brackets for groups of 20 or more

*High school students and younger: Free

*Tickets for Special Exhibition include admission to the Collection Exhibition (4F) and the Glass Art Garden (6F).

Emile GALLE, Bowl, *Hydrangea and Forest*, 1895-1903, Kitazawa Museum of Art

DAUM, *Lamp with Grape Design*, 1910s, Pola Museum of Art
ⓒPola Museum of Art, Pola Art Foundation

DAUM, *Vase, autumn leaf design*, 1920, National Crafts Museum
Photography by S&T PHOTO ⓒ2018

Jay MUSLER, *City Scape*, 1982, Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art

Ivan MAREŠ, *Night Visitor*, 1996, Koganezaki Crystal Park

KAWANABE Masaki, *Memory of the Moon*, 2006, Toyama Glass Art Museum
Photo by SUEMASA Mareo

TAKAHASHI Makiko, *Scooping Up Their Slumber*, 2025, Collection of the Artist

*Reproduction of photos are prohibited.

Access

[From Toyama Station]

○20-minute walk.

○Take the tram (Shinaidensha) for Minamitoyamaeki-mae. Get off at Nishicho. 1-minute walk.

○Take the Loop Line tram (Shinaidensha Kanjō-sen). Get off at Grand Plaza-mae. 2-minute walk. (Tram takes approx. 10 minutes from Toyama Sta. to Nishicho/Grand Plaza-mae.)

[From Toyama Airport]

○Take the Airport Bus to Toyama Station (Airport Express Bus/Local Bus (Route no.36)) and get off at Sogawa. 4-minute walk.

〒930-0062

5-1 Nishicho, Toyama City, Toyama 930-0062, Japan

TEL 076-461-3100

FAX 076-461-3310

https://www.toyama-glass-art-museum.jp/en/