Architecture, a place to be loved
The Japan Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition
La Biennale di Venezia
The Japan Foundation will organize the Japan Pavilion at the 18th International Architecture Exhibition, with architect Maki Onishi serving as curator and Yuki Hyakuda as deputy curator, co-directors of the architecture office o+h, this year’s Japan Pavilion will shine a spotlight on the Japan Pavilion itself, the representative work of architect Takamasa Yoshizaka, in an exhibition titled Architecture, a place to be loved.
Takamasa Yoshizaka, who studied under Wajiro Kon and modern architecture pioneer Le Corbusier, was active from the post-war reconstruction period until 1980. The Japan Pavilion, Yoshizaka’s masterpiece, was completed in 1956 and has served as a base for introducing Japan’s art and architecture to the rest of the world for over half a century. In this exhibition, team members with expertise in diverse fields that include not only architecture but also textiles, ceramics, design, editing, metal work, and animation, will consider the architecture of the Japan Pavilion itself, designed by Yoshizaka, as the focus of various exhibits based on “Architecture, a place to be loved,” a theme that Onishi and Hyakuda have pursued for many years.
The tent roof attached to the building facade; the mobiles hanging from the apertures; the piloti space serving as a bar-like resting area where people can intersect; the animated works projected onto the structural wall, which is essential to any discussion about the characteristics of the Japan Pavilion, in addition to the models, fixtures, re-edited books and other objects on display inside, made in response to the concept and forms of the building—through the design of the space and exhibits, a diverse range of creators have taken a thoughtful look at the Japan Pavilion to create a space where visitors can consider the meaning of “Architecture, a place to be loved.”
In addition, talks, workshops, and various other events will be held throughout the exhibition period with the aim of ensuring that the Japan Pavilion continues to be nurtured as a living place.
CREDITS
Theme：Architecture, a place to be loved―when architecture is seen as a living creature
Commissioner: The Japan Foundation
Curatorial Team: Maki Onishi (Curator) / Yuki Hyakuda (Deputy Curator) / Tomomi Tada / Yuma Harada
Exhibitors: dot architects (Toshikatsu Ienari, Wataru Doi, Ai Ikeda, Keiko Miyachi) / Akane Moriyama / Futoshi Mizuno
Exhibition Designers: o+h (Shiho Eika, Makoto Furusawa, Kotaro Igo, Satoshi Maemoto)
Editors: MUESUM (Dai Nagae, Chiaki Hanyu)
Designers: UMA/design farm (Megumi Takahashi, Yuka Tsuda)
Collaborators: André Raimundo / Asami Hashimoto / Atelier Tuareg (Yuji Okazaki) / Dept. (Makoto Nakamura) / Good Job! Center KASHIBA / Julia Li / KASAHARA HOSOHABA ORIMONO (Naoki Kasahara, Hideki Iyoda) / Lighter but Heavier (Hiroshi Katayama) / MIZUNO SEITOEN CO., LTD. (Yoshioki Mizuno) / MIZUNO SEITOEN LAB. (Kazuki Imai) / moogabooga (Makoto Takano, Ayako Oda) / OWASHI TAPE (Yoshiyasu Owashi) / Ryohei Yoshiyuki to Job (Ryohei Yoshiyuki) / Shiho Shibagaki / SINKO INDUSTRY CO., LTD (Masanobu Ito, Atsushi Yokoyama, Yasuhiro Matsuda, Takashi Kato, Nguyen Thi Kim Tu, Nguyen Thi Yen Nhi) / SUPER-FACTORY + HIGURE 17-15 cas (Makoto Sano, Toshihiko Arimoto, Shinji Tanaka, Taihei Kimura) / Taiyo Kogyo Corporation (Norihiko Ikeda, Tatsushi Heguri) / Tanpopo-No-Ye / Yoshitaro Inami / Yoshiyuki Hiraiwa / Yo Katsura / Yokohama Graduate School of Architecture (Yoshinori Nagara, Hiromu Takebe, Kabuto Terui, Nozomi Ueda, Shu Matsubara, Sota Endo, Yuka Kanda) / Yosuke Taki / Yurika Kono
Coordinators: Tomoaki Shimane / Tatsuya Suzuki / Yuki Kozu / Yui Akagi / Yurina Tsurui Oue / Maria Cristina Gasperini
Local Coordinator: Harumi Muto
