Dec. 8-Feb. 14

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art asks how Giorgio Morandi¡¯s paintings of simple bottles can be so heartwarming. The still-life painter Morandi (1890-1964) favored everyday objects as subjects, often depicting the same item repeatedly in an exploration of how composition can affect a viewer¡¯s interpretation.

This collaboration with the Museo Morandi of Italy, brings together around 100 of Morandi¡¯s works, from oil sketches to prints, and is the first time in 17 years that such a large scale exhibition of the artist has been held in Japan.

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art; 1-1-1 Wakihama Kaigandori, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo. Iwaya Stn. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Fri., Sat. till 8 p.m.). ?1,400. Closed Mon. 078-262-0901;