21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, as a venue to consider roles of design in the society, hold Exhibition “REALITY LAB,” from Nov. 16th to Dec. 26th. According to the exhibition director, Issey Miyake, the job of a designer consists of “a continual search for means by which to turn ideas into reality for those who can use them- in other words, a ‘REALITY LAB’.” Using this concept as a starting point, the exhibition’s goal is to challenge, explore and celebrate the infinite “possibilities of creation.”
The Japanese art of manufacturing, or of making things, is renowned worldwide for its precision. It is the fruit of an application of knowledge and experience, combined with handwork and an aesthetic consciousness. At present, however, the manufacturing industry in Japan is facing increasingly grave issues: the loss of talented workers, poor production, and shrinking resources due to the global environmental crisis. How can design provide a solution to these problems? Issey Miyake has a long-standing history of forging relationships with and encouraging production and plants all over Japan. As a result, he has been able to work in tandem with many of these companies to experiment with new processes and technologies that have always resulted in the new and exciting products that his followers have come to expect. The exhibition will introduce the works by designers, artists, and! scientists, who came together in the process of his research. Our goal is to provide an opportunity to reflect together upon the nature and possibilities of design that are revealed within the process of creation.
Message by Issey Miyake
"XXIst Century Man," an exhibition I directed to examine the future of making things, was held at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT in 2008. The preparation for this exhibition including research on the existing state of the environment and our resources formed the background for the current exhibition.
The production centers in Japan are well-known for their pursuit of making things using superb skills, wisdom and passion. However, they are now facing an unprecedented situation with talent being drained away and factories closing down. This is a critical stage where we must focus upon this grave situation and think seriously about the future of making things.
How do we resuscitate the art of making things? The spirit that inspires people in the same way as it did during the era when individuals and companies alike showed enthusiasm and found great joy and pride in the quality and beauty of their work? I want everybody to start to think about the meaning and significance of rejuvenation and re-creation: design activities that create "reality" and through this exhibition, begin to share some of Japan's thoughts on the topics with the rest of the world.
About the Participants
Issey Miyake (Designer) + Reality Lab Project Team
The first installment from the collaborative activities of the Reality Lab Project Team and Issey Miyake, who are conducting investigative research into the future of resources and the environment, and developing materials that take such issues into consideration. This installment introduces a project in which they attempt to make use of the distinct characteristics of regenerative material to create something even more attractive. The exhibition presents the concept and developmental processes behind the clothing series "132 5. ISSEY MIYAKE" and lighting shade "IN-EI ISSEY MIYAKE", both of which utilize the mathematics of paper folding to dramatically transform two-dimensional objects into 3D.
Katsumi Asaba (Art Director) + Takafumi Matsui (Planetary Physicist)
The exhibition introduces the collaborative works of Katsumi Asaba and planetary physicist Takafumi Matsui. Their poster series focuses on the question "where do we come from, and where are we going?" by examining meteors from the distant universe that have landed on earth. Meanwhile, their work also surveys humans in themselves from the perspective of the universe and earth, as a way of thinking about the future of making things.
Katsumi Asaba + Naoki Yonemoto×Mayu Hirano / Temjin (Documentary film artist)
From the development of materials, to the art of making things passed down from hand-to-hand. This documentary looks at fiber manufacturing plants and the local areas that manufacture fiber from a fresh perspective, especially focusing on the local Japanese manufacturing sites that bring joy to people through their making things. From the production of regenerative polyester fiber to the finished article of clothing, this documentary revolves around the processes behind the activities conducted by Reality Lab Project Team.
Hiroshi Iwasaki (Photographer)
Hiroshi Iwasaki's photographs mainly consist of still life that depict the internalized energies of his subjects. This exhibition features photographs that Iwasaki shot especially with the exhibition's objective in mind. The result is a series of photographs that portray items that Iwasaki especially found striking among the myriad products manufactured by domestic companies involved in unique and innovative making things, made possible with the availability of sophisticated technological capabilities. Says Iwasaki: "The world (of making things) is familiar, yet one that we know little about in our daily lives. By pointing my camera to this world, I wanted to speculate on the future of our livelihood."
Jun Mitani (Computer Scientist) + WOW (Visual Design Studio)
A specialist in shape modeling for computer graphics, Jun Mitani is a pioneer in the field of "3D origami" in which he uses his own original CG application. This collaborative installation between Mitani and WOW brings together Mitani's 3D origami - cutting-edge technology in the form of a familiar sculptural aesthetic - and WOW's visual works. The installation allows viewers to experience sensations of pleasure and surprise as a single sheet of paper metamorphoses into various three-dimensional models.
