'en: art of nexus' at TOTO GALLERY·MA builds on japan's 2016 venice biennale exhibition

the 2016 venice architecture biennale called for participants to demonstrate how architecture can respond to the various social circumstances and problems unique to each participating nation. japan’s contribution, titled ‘en: art of nexus’, illustrated how the country is addressing pressing issues — such as deserted housing and an aging population — in new and contemporary ways. the exhibition, which was awarded a special mention, shone a spotlight on 12 architects born after 1975 and the work they have produced in the face of many challenges and obstacles.

designboom attended the opening of the exhibition where we were able to learn more about the display and the projects on view.

‘en: art of nexus’ was first presented at the 2016 venice architecture biennale
image © nacása & partners inc. (also main image)

from now until march 18, 2018, visitors to tokyo’s TOTO GALLERY·MA have a second chance to see the presentation as it returns home to japan. the display builds upon the original exhibition shown in venice and shows what the architects have been working on since the biennale in the form of movies and models. the projects featured in the exhibition — from firms including naruse inokuma architects, satoru ito architects, fuminori nousaku architects, and on design — have emerged from a background strongly influenced by a wood-based culture distinct to asia and disparate from europe’s more rigid stone-based culture.

the exhibit illustrates how japanese architects are responding to the challenges the country is facing
image © nacása & partners inc.

‘after sprinting down the path of modernization to match stride with the western world in the belief it was making progress, seeing its period of rapid economic growth come to an end, and experiencing the disastrous events of march 11, 2011, japan now stands at a major turning point at which each and every architect needs to ask themselves once again what architecture must strive to achieve in today’s society,’ says the exhibition’s organizers. the exhibit remains on view at TOTO GALLERY·MA until march 18, 2018.

the display builds upon the original exhibition shown in venice
image © nacása & partners inc.

‘LT josai’ is a shared space designed by naruse inokuma architects
image © designboom

scale models of projects in kamiyama by BUS including satoru ito
image © designboom

model of a house renovation in nishioi by fuminori nosaku and mio tsuneyama/mnm
image © designboom

model of on design’s ‘international share house’
image © designboom

projects are also presented outside
image © nacása & partners inc.

the exhibition includes a wide range of movies and models
image © nacása & partners inc.

the display shines a spotlight on 12 groups of architects
image © nacása & partners inc.

the presentation deals with themes such as deserted housing and aging populations
image © nacása & partners inc.

the show relates back to the 15th international architecture exhibition, held in 2016
image © nacása & partners inc.

a view into the exhibition on the 2nd floor shows their new projects after the biennale
image © nacása & partners inc.

exhibition information

title: en: art of nexus — homecoming exhibition of the japan pavilion from the 15th international architecture exhibition – la biennale di venezia
date: january 24 – march 18, 2018
hours: 11:00-18:00 (closed on mondays)
admission: free
venue: TOTO GALLERY·MA
organized by: TOTO GALLERY·MA
planned by: TOTO GALLERY·MAplanning and management committee
special advisor: tadao ando; members: kazuyo sejima, manabu chiba,yoshiharu tsukamoto, erwin viray
supported by: the tokyo society of architects and building engineers; tokyo association of architectural firms; the japan institute of architects kanto-koshinetsu chapter; and kanto chapter, architectural institute of japan

guest curator: yoshiyuki yamana
venue design: teco (chie konno, rie allison)
exhibitors:
mio tsuneyama / mnm (mio tsuneyama)
osamu nishida+erika nakagawa（osamu nishida, erika nakagawa）
naruse inokuma architects (jun inokuma, yuri naruse)
naka architects’ studio (toshiharu naka, yuri uno)
nousaku architects (fuminori nousaku, junpei nousaku)
miCo. (mizuki imamura, isao shinohara)
levi architecture (jun nakagawa)
shingo masuda+katsuhisa otsubo architects (shingo masuda, katsuhisa otsubo)
403architecture [dajiba] (toru yada, takuma tsuji, takeshi hashimoto)
koji aoki architects (koji aoki)
BUS (satoru ito, kosuke bando, issei suma)
dot architects (toshikatsu ienari, takeshi shakushiro, wataru doi)
movies: drawing and manual