June 25, 2010

Shiodome Museum "Rouault Gallery" to become all-round next-generation lighting source
- State-of-the-art lighting space that realizes "comfort" and "eco-friendliness," while carefully handing down artistic assets to future generations -

Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd. renovated the "Rouault Gallery," a permanent exhibition corner of its "Panasonic Electric Works Shiodome Museum" (location: in the Tokyo Headquarters of Panasonic Electric Works, Higashi-Shinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo), with next-generation lighting such as the state-of-the-art LED lighting to make it comfortable and eco-friendly in time for "Hans Coper Retrospective," a feature exhibition that starts from June 26.
Because LED has less harmful rays such as ultraviolet and infrared rays and can reduce damages to exhibits in addition its features of energy saving and long life, its adoption as main lighting is expected to increase at galleries and museums. The "Rouault Gallery" has used 50W mini halogen downlights, 12V 50W mini halogen spotlights and high color-rendering Hf32W fluorescent light exhibition case lighting with a UV absorbing film so far. In this renovation, 20 units of a color-rendering LED spotlight, which is a new product with the industry’s minimum size(*1) (6 of them were installed in the exhibition cases), 6 units of a compact LED downlight (special order product) and 4 units each for up and down of color-rendering LED exhibition case lighting (special order product) which can change the color temperature from light bulb color to daylight white color were installed.
In addition, an OLED Light Panel (prototype), which has utilized the results of a contract research to NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) has been experimentally adopted to a pedestal for sculpture of Rouault.
These next-generation lighting products have reduced the power consumption by about 50%. As a result, the state-of-the-art lighting space that can realize "comfort" and "eco-friendliness" while carefully handing down the artistic assets to future generations was born.

Our company will position its Shiodome Museum not only as a place of cultural source but also a showroom that visitors can experience lighting space specific to a museum by the state-of-the-art LED lighting that can realize "comfort" and "eco-friendliness," and expand activities to propose the introduction of LED lighting to galleries and museums.

OLED Light Panel (prototype)

An OLED Light Panel (prototype), which has utilized the results of a contract research to NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) has been experimentally adopted to a pedestal for sculpture of Rouault.

<<For your reference>>
Overview of "Panasonic Electric Works Shiodome Museum"

The museum opened in April 2003 in the Tokyo Headquarters of Panasonic Electric Works, Ltd. coinciding with the completion of the building to provide a setting where the general public can view the paintings and prints works of the leading twentieth century French painter Georges Rouault (1871-1958), whose works have been collected by the company as part of its cultural contribution to society since the end of 1990s. The museum aspires to create a new cultural space befitting its location in the twenty-first century urban setting of "Shiodome".
The museum's Rouault collection consists of approximately 200 works including oil paintings and representative print series such as "Miserere" and "Cirque de l'Etoile Filante." A selection of these works is on permanent display, and furthermore the museum periodically holds special exhibitions relating to the artist. In addition, the museum holds exhibitions on themes corresponding to the actual undertakings of the company, such as "architecture and living" and "life and design." While proposing new relationships of "human beings and space" and "human beings and materials" that can enrich our everyday lives, the museum expands a broad variety of cultural activities.

Activities of the Museum

- The establishment, study and exhibition of a collection of works by Georges Rouault
- Comprehensive special exhibitions on "artistic themes related to Rouault", as well as on the themes of "architecture and living" and "life and design"
- Various cultural events in line with themes of exhibitions

Rouault Gallery

The Panasonic Electric Works Shiodome Museum's "Rouault Gallery" is the only gallery/museum around the world that was permitted to have the name of French painter Georges Rouault (1871-1958). Rouault continued painting with themes such as Christian subjects, circus and judge using his distinctive heavy lines, thick paints and brilliant colors like a stained glass. In the Rouault Gallery, the collection of his works is permanently exhibited under various themes. (Number of collections of works by Georges Rouault: approximately 200 works)