The exhibition "Ephemera: Printed Matter and Expression" will be held from Monday, March 18 to Friday, May 10, 2024.

Items such as flyers and pamphlets, which are primarily intended for temporary information display or use rather than long-term preservation like artworks or books, are referred to as "ephemera"—a word meaning "lasting only one day, short-lived"—as they are things that disappear after a limited period.

Printed ephemera, which are produced and distributed cheaply, are important items that convey the events and atmosphere of their respective eras. In recent years, they have also become subjects of collection in cultural institutions, including museums.

Keio Museum Commons will hold an exhibition focusing on ephemera, particularly printed ephemera that functioned as a medium spreading through society by being printed for free or at low cost.

In post-war art, where new forms of expression such as conceptual art, events, and video expression emerged and developed, various experiments were attempted within the limited space of printed ephemera—such as pamphlets, catalogs, and art magazines—which served as venues for artist expression while being linked to the communication of information about works and exhibitions.

While introducing these experiments on paper, this exhibition looks at ephemera, which have ultimately become entities that preserve and convey past events, and considers printed matter/ephemera as vehicles for information and expression.

Furthermore, as a connection to contemporary expression, a two-person exhibition by contemporary artists Tatsuo Kawaguchi and Motohiro Tomii, who are interested in ephemera/printed matter, will be held concurrently.