Exhibit Overview: On March 27, 2026, Palazzo Bonaparte will host the opening exhibition of the most comprehensive exhibition ever dedicated in Italy to Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), the absolute master of Japanese art and a key figure in world visual culture.

The Venue: Palazzo Bonaparte Location: Piazza Venezia, in the heart of historic Rome​. This iconic building features high-ceilinged, richly decorated exhibition spaces.

Hokusai Overview, The Artist: Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849) is one of the defining artists of global modernity: a printmaker who transformed ukiyo‑e from portraits of courtesans and actors into expansive visions of landscapes, weather, and everyday life, and whose work later helped ignite Japonisme in Europe and reshape Impressionism and modern art. From the Thirty‑Six Views of Mount Fuji series to the now‑ubiquitous Great Wave, Hokusai’s images sit at the crossroads of East and West. Hokusai’s Floating World - a construct combining  nature, the movement of water, the landscape, female figures, and the lives of ordinary Japanese people  - profoundly influenced Western Impressionism, making him one of the most globally celebrated artists in history. 

Audience overview: This exhibition is designed to attract a broad, mixed audience: mostly adults, generally college‑educated and internationally diverse, with a strong pull from the fame of The Great Wave. Casual visitors will likely skew to their mid‑40s and older, with frequent museum‑goers often in their 60s. At the same time, Hokusai’s global pop‑culture presence—on prints, merchandise, fashion, even tattoos—should draw an unusually large group of 20–35‑year‑olds who may not be regular museum visitors.  We envision an accessible, atmospheric, and quietly sophisticated soundscape that resonates with both groups.  

Creative Strategy: The Floating World: Our creative strategy is underpinned by Hokusai’s Floating World, the Edo‑period (1603–1868) aesthetic that reflected a vibrant urban culture of beauty, sensuality and leisure. The soundscape would be layered and textural, combining electroacoustic and ambient elements that evoke wonder and emotional depth. We would recommend incorporating organic sounds and wooden, resonant tones that echo the material underpinnings of Hokusai’s prints and screens. Carefully chosen references to traditional Japanese period music—especially koto‑like string colors—would underscore the languid, reflective mood associated with the Edo period. 

Haiku Interventions (Optional): Haiku, closely associated with Edo‑period Japan yet widely embraced worldwide, becomes a quiet through‑line in the soundscape.  We propose a series of original haiku across diverse themes, recorded in Japanese and select other languages, and gently woven into the audio at specific moments and locations. These brief spoken interludes would function as sonic “pauses” in the exhibition, inviting reflection without interrupting the visual flow. 

Immersive Strategy: Aligning with the creative strategy, the soundscape would “float” through the exhibition with gentle but noticeable movement, guiding visitors without overwhelming them. Spatial audio would be designed to subtly shift perspective so visitors would feel the oscillation between stillness and motion that animates Hokusai’s work.  

Possible Creative Directions: Two creative treatments that align with the strategy outlined above.