Murakami show in Chicago to open with Pharrell-curated gala

The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a preview of its upcoming Takashi Murakami exhibition featuring a Murakami-inspired dinner and music curated by Pharrell Williams, a close collaborator of the Japanese artist.
"Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg" opens June 6 and will be the art and fashion icon's first museum retrospective in the US, according to MCA Chicago. Several never-before-seen works will be joined by large-scale paintings in addition to sculptures and anime-inspired characters and drawings by the artist known for his high-profile collaborations with Kanye West and Louis Vuitton.
To celebrate the opening of the exhibition, the artist has created an octopus-inspired character -- and this octopus theme will also make its way into the 50th anniversary celebration, set for three days earlier.
Janelle Monáe is set to perform at the gala, called MCA ArtEdge: 50, as part of an evening of music curated by Pharrell to celebrate the exhibition's opening. The event will also mark the unveiling of the museum's renovated interior.
A multi-course dinner will begin with "Murakami-inspired hors d'oeuvres," including sushi rolls "playfully displaying edible octopus," according to the museum.
"Takashi Murakami: The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg" runs through September 24 and is expected to be a blockbuster summer exhibition for the museum. — AFP Relaxnews