Contemporary artworks are rarely described as "world treasures," but here The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo has come up with its own definition of the phrase. These are works that are literally "treasures" in terms of their high market value, but also because of their ability to convey universal messages in forms that will withstand the tests of time. Of the 75 works on display, many have been controversial and all are by major artists, such as Francis Bacon, Mark Rothko, Andy Warhol and Hiroshi Sugimoto.
Forty artists are represented, with all the works borrowed from the Yageo Foundation Collection, one of the world's top modern and contemporary private art collections. The exhibition has also been turned into an interactive game that visitors can play to experience the role of an art collector; Aug. 24.
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, 3-1 Kitanomaru-koen, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. Takebashi Stn. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Fri. till 8 p.m.). ¥1,200. Closed Mon. and July 22. 03-5777-8600; www.momat.go.jp
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