Collaborative creation has a long tradition in East Asia and Japan. Poems were conceived during gatherings and often recorded in calligraphic writing on the spot. Prose and poetry inspired paintings and vice versa.

Thus, text and image, whether by the same or different contributors, often appear jointly on a single art work. This temporary presentation drawn from museum holdings takes as its focus collaborative works of art, which range from simple text-image combinations by two contributors to highly complex joint works in hanging scroll or album format by up to thirty-two parties. They illustrate the importance of cultural networks and social relations for the creation of art in Japan.

Creating Together – Networks of Creativity in Arts of Japan is a temporary presentation by the Museum für Asiatische Kunst (Asian Art Museum) of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in Gallery 318 “Arts of Japan” at the Humboldt Forum