Monumental art refers to generally large works of art created in harmony with the surrounding architecture or environment. It also can be called ‘public’ art as they available to anybody and are designed to brighten everyday life.
Monumental art can include sculptures, compositions, mosaic panels, building decorations, stained glass, street clocks and so on. Perhaps influenced by overseas designers, the style of monumental art in Japan leans towards the international rather than purely Japanese.
Some works are ‘realistic’ and picture a real story or a person, such as the Hachiko wall in Shibuya or the kabuki characters near Minamiza Theatre in Kyoto. Their role is to either accent a surrounding space or to be the focal point of an architectural composition. Good samples of this are the sculptures in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government complex that liven up the strict geometry of the architecture.
Sometimes the works create a special space, like the large semi-abstract sculptures forming the unique space of the Seaside Park of Ito, or the mirrored panels and striped frames that create an illusion of infinity on Odaiba Island.
