Gauntlet Gallery — Takashi Murakami Print Index
Intermezzo (TFBLK)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Intermezzo (TFBLK) is a 2020 oil-based silkscreen produced by Kaikai Kiki Gallery and released through The Noguchi Museum. It marks the first collaborative work between Takashi Murakami and graffiti pioneer FUTURA2000, printed in 15 colors on 300 gsm KAKITA paper at 25.5 x 21 inches. Signed by both artists in an edition of 100, it is the darker companion to the 20-color TFWHT variant.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: The Noguchi Museum is proud to offer the first-ever collaborative work between FUTURA2000 and Takashi Murakami: two limited edition screenprints exclusively available through the Museum in the United States. The saved release record describes: signed. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
This print records a genuine first: the inaugural collaboration between Murakami and FUTURA2000, two artists who bridged pop, street, and gallery worlds from opposite hemispheres. Institutional backing from The Noguchi Museum and production by Murakami's own Kaikai Kiki Gallery place it at the intersection of American graffiti abstraction and Japanese Superflat, making it a documented dialogue between two distinct visual traditions rather than a routine editioned release.
Collector Perspective
The dual signatures of both Murakami and FUTURA2000 give this piece two-artist provenance within a single sheet, a meaningful draw for collectors of either. The staggered release structure, with 50 offered first through the Museum Shop in the US and 50 later through Kaikai Kiki in Japan, means TFBLK examples carry distinct origin stories. Condition, flat storage, and the pencil signatures reward careful verification.
Historical Context
By 2020, Murakami had spent two decades building Superflat and Kaikai Kiki into global forces, while FUTURA2000 had evolved from 1980s New York subway writing into a celebrated abstract painter. Their pairing under The Noguchi Museum, an institution rooted in Isamu Noguchi's own cross-cultural practice, situated the collaboration within a lineage of East-meets-West exchange, offered as a matched TFBLK and TFWHT set.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned screenprint
- Release date
- 2020
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Screen Print; catalog dimensions 25.5 x 21 inches; The Noguchi Museum is proud to offer the first-ever collaborative work between FUTURA2000 and Takashi Murakami: two limited edition screenprints exclusively available through the Museum in the United States; Each screen print was made in an edition of 100, with 50 of each first available via the Museum Shop, followed by the release of the second set of 50 of each in Japan only, through Kaikai Kiki Gallery; Oil-based silkscreen on 300 gsm KAKITA paper.
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: The Noguchi Museum is proud to offer the first-ever collaborative work between FUTURA2000 and Takashi Murakami: two limited edition screenprints exclusively available through the Museum in the United States.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Takashi Murakami's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: Read as documented context rather than stated intent: By 2020, Murakami had spent two decades building Superflat and Kaikai Kiki into global forces, while FUTURA2000 had evolved from 1980s New York subway writing into a celebrated abstract painter. This is an interpretive reading of the release context, not a statement of the artist's intent for this specific work. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2020 and attributes the edition to nogushi shop. The saved description also notes: Printed in Japan.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to nogushi shop. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- Kaikai Kiki — official studio site — Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official studio/company site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Takashi Murakami — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Takashi Murakami (Q352437) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What makes Intermezzo (TFBLK) significant?
It is the first-ever collaborative work between Takashi Murakami and FUTURA2000, signed by both artists and produced by Kaikai Kiki Gallery for release through The Noguchi Museum in 2020.
How large is the edition?
The edition is 100. Per the release, 50 were first offered through The Noguchi Museum Shop in the US, followed by a second set of 50 available in Japan only through Kaikai Kiki Gallery.
How does TFBLK differ from TFWHT?
TFBLK is the black variant printed in 15 colors, while its companion TFWHT was printed in 20 colors. Both are oil-based silkscreens on 300 gsm KAKITA paper at the same 25.5 x 21 inch sheet size.
Who signed the print?
Both FUTURA2000 and Takashi Murakami signed the work, giving it dual-artist authorship within a single sheet.
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