NEW YORK, NY.- Japan Society Gallery is presenting Made in Tokyo: Architecture and Living, 1964/2020, a landmark exhibition featuring the shifting socio-architectural landscape of Tokyo between the 1964 and 2020 Summer Games. With the upcoming Tokyo-hosted international sports event as its catalyst, Made in Tokyo explores the city’s distinct architectural language, developed through the history of last fifty-five years. The Japanese architectural firm Atelier Bow-Wow, founded by Momoyo Kaijima and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto in 1992, takes on dual roles as curator and exhibition designer, conceiving an exhibition which responds to the critical role of architecture in structuring society, its effect on people’s lives, and presents the transformation of this mega-city through experiences of its social, economic and political development.
The 1964 Summer Games facilitated unprecedented growth in the postwar era that witnessed the rapid development of new infrastructure and re-established Japan as a nation of peace and prosperity on the global stage. Closely looking at the architecture of public and private spaces and its continual impact on the people in Tokyo, Made in Tokyo examines six categories of architectural facilities—stadium, station, retail, capsule, office, and home—from both 1964 and 2020.
This exhibition showcases a vast range of multimedia and interactive elements that explore Tokyo’s transformation, including a lifesize capsule hotel pod model and a virtual tour of Tokyo’s characteristic architecture led by Atelier Bow-Wow. The exhibition design captures the international spirit of the Games that sparked the reinvigoration of Tokyo with flags lining the gallery ceilings. The curved walls, inspired by the ovular shape of athletic stadiums, create a partial separation between images of the past and present that also allows for contextualization through proximity and comparison.
The exhibition also features rare archival drawings and photographs from over 30 architectural firms and private and public collections – highlights include original 1960s drawings by Kenzo Tange from the Harvard University archive and a model of Kengo Kuma’s New National Stadium, which is currently under construction for the 2020 Games. This assemblage of rare photographs and works on paper from esteemed international collections provides visitors with a unique opportunity to experience these master works in the same place.
Post WWII Tokyo also saw the emergence of radical art collectives that generated art and performance with critical and deep insight into the socio-political condition. Groups such as the Hi Red Center used the urban environment as their canvas, staging happenings that raised questions about centralized authority and the role of the individual in society. Both historical and contemporary art works, video and documentations of such performances will be on display in the exhibition.
Made in Tokyo traces the significant societal and fiscal changes of Tokyo over the last half-century, including the shaping of metropolitan life and urban spaces through periods of economic growth in the 1970s; the bubble economy of the 1980s, which markedly affected property values; and the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake which critically altered the population's collective psyche. The exhibition traces these transformative events through the response of development of Tokyo’s architecture.
“Post-1946 recovery and the Tokyo 1964 Summer Games was the trigger that facilitated the improvement of Tokyo’s infrastructure and dramatically changed the landscape. Japan has produced innovative architects through the radical transformation of the capital. Tokyo is still changing in advance of the 2020 Games. Architects today respond differently to social issues and explore new directions with their creative visions of addressing ecology and sustainability.” says Yukie Kamiya, Director of Japan Society Gallery.
Atelier Bow-Wow remarks, “In the 1960s—15 years after the end of World War II, Japan grew with great productivity and enthusiasm, various urban institutions were created and young architects were allowed to creatively contribute to diverse architectural designs. Now, in contrast to those times, there is an incentive for large capital and organizations towards massredevelopment. Through this tremendous turnover of city spaces and transitions of urban institutions we will showcase the evolution of life in the city of Tokyo.”
Made in Tokyo is organized by Japan Society, guest curated by Momoyo Kaijima and Yoshiharu Tsukamoto of Atelier Bow-Wow in collaboration with Yukie Kamiya, Japan Society Gallery Director. Exhibition design by Atelier Bow-Wow (Momoyo Kaijima, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, Yoichi Tamai and Andrei Savescu.) Selection of artworks is with assistance from Nina Horisaki-Christens.
