DESIGNART TOKYO 2024 UNDER 30: Celebrating Emerging Young Creators
Tokyo, renowned as one of the world's most culturally diverse cities, is set to host Japan's largest and most prestigious design and art festival: DESIGNART TOKYO. This highly anticipated event will showcase various genres, including design, art, interior design, and fashion, offering a platform for creativity and innovation. The festival's "UNDER30" program is a highlight, featuring five talented creators under 30. These individuals have been selected for their exceptional potential and are poised to become the next stars in the design and art world.
Tokyo, renowned as one of the world's most culturally diverse cities, is set to host Japan's largest and most prestigious design and art festival: DESIGNART TOKYO. This highly anticipated event will showcase various genres, including design, art, interior design, and fashion, offering a platform for creativity and innovation.
The festival's "UNDER30" program is a highlight, featuring five talented creators under 30. These individuals have been selected for their exceptional potential and are poised to become the next stars in the design and art world. The UNDER30 program consistently generates significant interest, serving as a launchpad for emerging talents and offering insight into the future of creative industries.
From left to right: AAAQ ©Andraditya Dhanu Respati / Hiroto Ikebe photo by Kodai Mizuguchi / HOJO AKIRA / Saki Takeshita ©Yuki Kawazoe / Straft (in alphabetical order)
AAAQ Creative Unit Selected by Hiroshi Koike/ NON-GRID
photo by Atsuro Miyako
Meet AAAQ, a dynamic creative unit formed by product designer and producer Atsuro Miyako and UI designer So Ohta. Established in 2021 after their graduation from Chiba University, AAAQ is based in Tokyo and has rapidly gained recognition for their innovative approach to design.
AAAQ’s philosophy is rooted in the continuous cycle of creation and inquiry, encapsulated by their guiding principle: "creating, creating, and creating answers to generate new questions." Their work is characterized by a deep sensitivity and thorough research, often exploring the unseen forces that shape our world and our unconscious interactions with them.
One of the standout phenomena they investigate is "photoelasticity," which vividly visualizes the invisible force of stress. At DESIGNART TOKYO 2024, AAAQ will present "Visible Stress," a groundbreaking work that leverages photoelasticity to reveal the intricate textures of light created by stress. This installation invites viewers to reconsider their surroundings and their own perceptions, unveiling a hidden world of beautiful, potent forces that typically go unnoticed.
Hiroto Ikebe (Textile Artist / Designer) Selected by Astrid Klein&Mark/Klein Dytham architecture
「MAYUGOMORI」FFP© photo by Yasunari Kikuma
After graduating with honours from Tama Art University, where he majored in Textile Design, this visionary artist views fabric as a "soft fossil" that preserves the memories of various cultures, customs, and beliefs. He conducts detailed fieldwork to unravel the memories and contexts associated with materials and techniques from diverse regions. He uses this knowledge to create unique textile designs and artworks that demonstrate his innovative experimental approach.
He focuses on the declining traditions of sericulture that have historically supported Japanese livelihoods. He explores the intricate relationships between "materials" and "producers" from the interaction between humans and silkworms. By reconstructing this relationship, he has developed the "COCOON ANATOMY" garments crafted from silkwaste. These innovative pieces represent a new production process that reimagines traditional methods.
The "COCOON ANATOMY" collection showcases our dedication to sustainable design and will be a prominent feature at DESIGNART TOKYO 2024. This revolutionary approach to textile design not only pays homage to the esteemed tradition of Japanese sericulture but also revitalizes it. Through the exhibition of these pioneering pieces, we aim to encourage our audience to recognize the profound link between culture and craftsmanship and envision a sustainable future for traditional arts.
HOJO AKIRA (Designer) Selected by Shun Kawakami / artless Inc.
This talented designer graduated from Kanazawa College of Art with a major in Product Design and currently works in Tokyo. They work both as in-house designers and freelancers, focusing on mass-produced products. Their design philosophy involves analyzing and improving mass production processes, emphasizing structure and joining methods.
The thought-provoking exhibition "What is the Essential Structure?" will explore the discomforts caused by the typical distortions of mass-produced items. The exhibition will encourage visitors to consider whether these distortions are inherent and what the true essence of a product is. At the core of this exploration are his uniquely designed "sofas," which embody his quest for answers and reflect his deep contemplation of structural integrity.
"Through his work, he aims to communicate these reflections to a broader audience, proposing new values and perspectives on product design.
Saki Takeshita (Designer) Selected by Akio Aoki/ MIRU DESIGN
This versatile designer, a Musashino Art University's Department of Industrial, Interior, and Craft Design graduate, has left a mark in various domains, from guitar effects to interior products. Based in Tokyo, she emphasizes the intricate relationship between objects, people, and spaces and brings a hands-on approach to her creative process.
She will unveil "Eeyo," a captivating exploration of material transformation. This work uses balsa wood, renowned as the world's lightest wood. By meticulously dyeing the wood and exposing it to nearly 200 degrees of hot air, she achieves a dynamic change in colour and a unique graphic representation. This intriguing method allows for a novel form of graphic processing, enhancing the natural grain and texture of the wood by varying the dyeing time and heat application to alter the wood's colours and patterns.
"Eeyo" can be applied to surfaces with uneven textures, curves, and three-dimensional objects, showcasing a new expressive technique in wood product design. By integrating this innovative process, she pushes the boundaries of traditional wood design and offers a fresh perspective on the interaction between materials and craftsmanship.
Graduated from the Department of Industrial, Interior and Craft Design at Musashino Art University. Engaged in a wide range of design work from guitar effects to interior products, creating and presenting work while based in Tokyo. With a focus on the relationship between objects, people, and spaces, she values the process of thinking and creating by hand while interacting with materials.
She will exhibit the work “Eeyo”, which involves dyeing balsa wood, known as the lightest wood in the world, and then exposing it to hot air at nearly 200 degrees, changing the color and creating a graphic representation. A mysterious phenomenon where, by varying the dyeing time and the application of heat, you can change the colors and patterns. The method allows graphic processing of surfaces with natural grain and texture, including those with uneven surfaces, curves, and of three-dimensional objects. This is a new expressive technique in wood product design.
Straft (Artist) Selected by OkisatoNagata / TIMELESS
Meet Straft, a creative craft unit founded by Tamaki Ishii and Kazuma Yamagami. Both are graduates of Tokyo Zokei University with degrees in Industrial Design. Ishii and Yamagami are based in Tokyo, where they use their skills to create innovative works that combine traditional styles with contemporary sensibilities.
Straft primarily works with rice straw, a material with deep cultural significance in Japan. Traditionally used in roofs, walls, and daily tools, rice straw is also a revered object of prayer. At DESIGNART TOKYO 2024, Straft will showcase its "NEST" exhibition, highlighting rice straw's spiritual and cultural significance beyond its practical uses.
Their signature piece, "TORI," exemplifies this ethos by expressing the inherent Japanese view of nature shaped by centuries of rice cultivation. "TORI" aims to capture the essence of spiritual richness and the harmony between humans and nature, a concept deeply rooted in Japanese tradition and increasingly relevant today.
Join us at DESIGNART TOKYO 2024 to experience Straft's "NEST" and witness how Ishii and Yamagami elevate rice straw from a mere resource to a powerful cultural and spiritual connection symbol. Through their work, Straft invites us to reflect on living in harmony with nature and rediscovering its spiritual richness.
Theme: Reframing: the Beginning of a Shift
Period: 10 days from Friday, October 18 to Sunday, October 27, 2024.
Area: Omotesando, Gaienmae, Harajuku, Shibuya, Roppongi, Hiroo, Ginza, Tokyo station area
Organizer: DESIGNART TOKYO COMMITTEE
Founders: Akio Aoki (MIRU DESIGN), Shun Kawakami (artless Inc.), Hiroshi Koike (NON- GRID), Okisato Nagata (TIMELESS), Astrid Klein & Mark Dytham (Klein Dytham architecture)
Official website: https://designart.jp/designarttokyo2024/?lang=en
DESIGNART TOKYO 2024 KEY VISUAL STAFF CREDIT
Photographer:Masaki Ogawa
Design & ArtDirection:artless
Direction : DESIGNART TOKYO COMMITTEE
Archipelagic Void: The 23rd Serpentine Pavilion
Serpentine is thrilled to unveil the 23rd Pavilion, "Archipelagic Void," designed by Seoul-based Korean architect Minsuk Cho and his esteemed firm, Mass Studies. Opening on Friday, 7 June 2024, and supported by Goldman Sachs for the tenth consecutive year, this innovative structure promises to be a landmark of contemporary architecture.
Serpentine is thrilled to unveil the 23rd Pavilion, "Archipelagic Void," designed by Seoul-based Korean architect Minsuk Cho and his esteemed firm, Mass Studies. Opening on Friday, 7 June 2024, and supported by Goldman Sachs for the tenth consecutive year, this innovative structure promises to be a landmark of contemporary architecture.
A Masterpiece of Design
The Pavilion, aptly named "Archipelagic Void," consists of five distinct islands, each unique in size, form, and purpose. These islands form a cohesive platform for Serpentine's vibrant live programme. Collectively, they create a dynamic space, seamlessly integrating with the surrounding park.
To mark the Pavilion's debut, Minsuk Cho will speak with Serpentine Artistic Director Hans Ulrich Obrist on opening day. They will explore the inspirations behind this year's Pavilion, Cho's architectural philosophy, and the rich history of this prestigious commission.
Innovative Structure
At the heart of "Archipelagic Void" lies a central void, surrounded by adaptable structures reminiscent of the traditional Korean madang, or open courtyard. Each island functions as a "content machine" with a specific name and purpose:
The Gallery: The main entrance features a six-channel sound installation by musician and composer Jang Young-Gyu. His piece, The Willow is <버들은> in the Summer and Moonlight <월정명> in the Autumn, weaves together natural sounds from Kensington Gardens with traditional Korean music, reflecting the changing seasons.
The Library: Created by artist Heman Chong and archivist Renée Staal, this living reference library, The Library of Unread Books, invites visitors to contribute unread books, fostering a communal pool of knowledge.
The Tea House: Situated to the east, this space pays homage to the Serpentine building's history as a teahouse from 1934 until the early 1960s before its transformation into an art gallery.
The Auditorium: The largest structure, located to the west, is designed for public gatherings and will host performances and talks. Its walls feature benches built into them to accommodate audiences.
The Play Tower: This pyramid structure, featuring a bright orange netscape, provides a playful space for visitors to climb and interact.
Engaging Programmes
The Pavilion will host Serpentine's renowned Park Nights, an annual interdisciplinary series featuring music, poetry, performance, and dance. Highlights include:
Dance Performance by Eun-Me Ahn: On 28 and 29 June, choreographer Eun-Me Ahn and her company will present a captivating dance performance.
Poetry Night: On 19 July, internationally acclaimed poets Don Mee Choi and Denise Riley, along with special guests, will deliver an evening of evocative poetry.
In addition, in July, Serpentine Arts Technologies will explore the nexus of technology, property, and ecology. The Fairclouds project, a collaborative artwork initiated by Tomás Saraceno and the Salinas Grandes communities in Argentina, will be highlighted. Visitors can become stewards of this work by purchasing a partial ownership license, supporting indigenous communities and joining an international network of stewards.
Further details of the Pavilion's live programme and events will be announced soon. As we celebrate this remarkable blend of architecture, art, and community, Please join at Serpentine South from 7 June to 27 October 2024 for an unforgettable experience.
Please visit: https://www.serpentinegalleries.org for more details.
About the Architect:
Minsuk Cho, Mass Studies. Photo © Mok Jungwook.
Minsuk Cho was born in Seoul and graduated from the Architectural Engineering Department of Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea) and the Graduate School of Architecture at Columbia University (New York, USA). After working in various firms, including OMA Rotterdam, he established Cho Slade Architecture in 1998 in New York City with partner James Slade. In 2003, he returned to Korea to open his own firm, Mass Studies.
Cho has garnered numerous accolades over the course of his career. Notable among these achievements are his first prize win in the 1994 Shinkenchiku International Residential Architecture Competition and the Architectural League of New York’s Young Architects Award in 2000 for his contributions at Cho Slade Architecture. He also received two U.S. Progressive Architecture Awards (Citations) in 1999 and 2003. His work with Mass Studies earned two nominations for the International Highrise Award (Deutsches Architekturmuseum-DAM), once as a finalist in 2008 for Boutique Monaco and again in 2010 for S-Trenue. The Korea Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 Shanghai was honoured with the Silver Award in the “Pavilion Design” category from the Bureau of International Expositions, accompanied by a Presidential Citation from the Korean government. Cho co-curated the exhibition “Named Design” at the Gwangju Design Biennale 2011, in collaboration with Anthony Fontenot under the direction of Seung H-Sang and Ai Weiwei. In June 2014, Minsuk Cho received the prestigious Golden Lion Award for the Best National Pavilion while serving as the commissioner and co-curator of the Korean Pavilion at the 14th International Architecture Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia. Cho was recognised further by receiving the Hwagwan Medal Order of Cultural Merit from the Korean government.
Cho’s work with Mass Studies had been presented in various exhibitions, including the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2004 and 2010, the Vitra Museum travelling exhibition “Open House” from 2006 to 2008, and a solo show titled “Before/After: Mass Studies Does Architecture” at the PLATEAU Samsung Museum of Art in Seoul in 2014. Mass Studies’ architectural designs and presentations are part of the collections and archives of the MoMA (New York), DAM (Frankfurt), Art Institute Chicago, and the Mokchon Architecture Archive (Seoul). Additionally, the 5th edition of Kenneth Frampton’s canonical “Modern Architecture: A Critical History” (2020, Thames & Hudson) highlights Cho and his work in the added South Korea chapter. Minsuk Cho is also an active lecturer and speaker, participating in symposia worldwide.
