kazuyo sejima co-curates 'symbiosis: living island' exhibition at japan house london

JAPAN HOUSE LONDON PRESENTS ‘Symbiosis: Living Island’

From May 21 to September 4, 2022, Japan House London hosts ‘Symbiosis: Living Island’, an exhibition exploring the large-scale art and architecture project, Inujima ‘Art House Project’, that has been transforming the Japanese island of Inujima since 2010. Curated by the project’s artistic director, Yūko Hasegawa, and SANAA co-founder Kazuyo Sejima, the upcoming show shines a spotlight on the ways this evolving art scheme has revived an island with a diminishing population through cultural activities (including an installation by Sejima, which you can see here). Central to the project are the island’s inhabitants and the concept of symbiosis, as illustrated in the interaction between nature, art and architecture.

‘The island of Inujima is a place that embodies a harmonious eco-system,’ explains Yūko Hasegawa. ‘Through our work, we wanted to create an example of how an island and its community can be revitalized and enriched by living together with art. I hope that visitors to the Symbiosis exhibition will experience the same enrichment from their interaction with the Inujima ‘Art House Project’, not only exploring the concept of symbiosis in their own lives but to maybe even visit the island one day.’

Inujima ‘Art House Project’, F-Art House, Kohei Nawa: Biota (Fauna/Flora), 2013, Photo by Takashi Homma

the Inujima ‘Art House Project’

The extraordinary living art scheme Inujima ‘Art House Project’ has been transforming both the landscape and the lives of the inhabitants of Inujima Island for the past 12 years. The project is part of Benesse Art Site Naoshima – a collective term for the art activities overseen by Benesse Holdings Inc. and the Fukutake Foundation – that is working to rewrite the story of a collection of islands in the Seto Inland Sea (see designboom’s previous coverage here). Working closely with artists, including Nawa Kōhei, Kojin Haruka, Asai Yūsuke and Olafur Eliasson to name a few, Inujima is now home to five pavilions, alongside outdoor exhibits which evolve with the landscape over time.

Visitors to ‘Symbiosis: Living Island’ at Japan House London will have the chance to ‘step foot onto’ the island to ‘travel the road’ and explore the art, pavilions and other creative projects that have formed part of the Inujima landscape since 2010. The exhibition offers an intimate tour of the different activities through art and diorama installations, photography and videography, as well as testimonies from residents on the transformational impact the project has had on their lives. Blueprints are also on display outlining Yūko Hasegawa’s long-term vision for the future of the island, showcasing the concept of ‘symbiosis’ and ‘what can happen when we position nature and the community as the central pillar to how we live our everyday lives.’ Finally, the exhibition includes a partial, full-scale replica of Yellow Flower Dream by Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes, a floral structure created especially for installation in A-Art House in 2018 (scroll down to see an image of the installation on site).

Inujima ‘Art House Project’, F-Art House, Kohei Nawa: Biota (Fauna/Flora), 2013, Photo by Takashi Homma

‘We are delighted to be able to bring the story behind the extraordinary island of Inujima to life at Japan House London and the work of two remarkable Japanese cultural leaders,’ says Simon Wright, Director of Programming, Japan House London. ‘Symbiosis: Living Island explores the transformative impact the Inujima ‘Art House Project’ has had on, not only those who live and work on the island, but those who travel from afar to visit.’

Inujima ‘Art House Project’, C-Art House, Masanori Handa: Untitled (Flowers at C-Art House), 2019, Photo by Yoshikazu Inoue